The Dangers Of DIY Teeth Whitening Methods

Don’t try to save money by putting your teeth at risk!

Clocktower Dental Implant and Facial CentreBack in ‘ye olde days’, if we wanted to discover something we didn’t already know, we would have had to make a trip to the local library to find out any information that wasn’t widely available.

These days of course, we simply turn to the internet and will be able to find almost anything that we want. On the face of it, this is great, but it can sometimes also be difficult to discern what is genuine and what is fake information. This can create problems in many areas but is of special concern to those working in the dental profession.

There has, unfortunately, been an increase in the number of people seeking information on how to do some dental procedures by looking it up online and watching instructional videos. While few people will attempt to fill their own teeth though, certain cosmetic treatments are more popular to try. One of the most common of these is tooth whitening.

Cosmetic dentistry

The word ‘cosmetic’ is sometimes taken to mean ‘surface’ or ‘superficial’ and has been used in dentistry to define treatments that predominantly improve the appearance of your teeth, rather than their function (although some, such as orthodontics can do both). This may have led some people to believe that there was no harm in trying something that seems as basic as having whiter teeth and in the process, saving a little money.

The problem here is that a tooth is a living thing and can be damaged if not looked after correctly. In today’s blog, the team at the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre offer their thoughts on the risks you take by using some of the more widespread methods and why having the treatment done professionally at your Epsom dentist is a much better and safer idea.

DIY risks

Let us start by taking a look at some of the more common suggestions on how to whiten your teeth at home, along with their success, or otherwise, and the damage that is likely to occur.

Household bleach

Let us start with the most dangerous and quite frankly, stupid, suggestion. Hopefully, none of you would even consider this but there have been, thankfully rare, cases of people dipping their brush in household bleach before brushing them with it. Will it whiten your teeth? Well, as anyone knows, bleach can remove staining and, well, bleach things, so in that sense, yes it can. Quite obviously though, bleach is dangerous and could burn your lips, tongue and any soft tissues in the mouth causing quite a lot of pain. It will also certainly damage the enamel surface of your teeth and set you up for problems like sensitive teeth and tooth decay. Quite simply, don’t do this whatever you do.

Lemon juice

If bleach is dangerous, then surely lemon juice is safe? This is one of the most common suggestions, along with cider vinegars and similar products. These are safe in as much as they are food products and certainly don’t have the risks associated with bleach. The one thing that they have in common with each other though is that they are all highly acidic and while they may lighten the colour of your teeth, they are also potentially very harmful to your tooth enamel. As with bleach, this might whiten your teeth for a while but at a terrible price. Once the enamel of your teeth has eroded, it won’t ‘grow back’ and to protect your teeth may mean the fitting of veneers once this has happened.

Added abrasives

Some suggestions include adding a little extra abrasive material to your toothbrush, such as salt. This will only remove any surface staining anyway and not any underlying discolouration which is very common, and would be like taking sandpaper to your teeth. As you can imagine, this will quickly erode the enamel on your teeth, with the same results as above.

Safe (and affordable) teeth whitening

Given that all of the above come with risks to the health of your teeth, and in some cases, the soft tissues of your mouth, what options are available to whiten your teeth safely and effectively?

Providing that the discolouration or staining isn’t too severe, most patients are able to have our popular teeth whitening procedure which can whiten your teeth by up to eight shades. Not all patients opt for the maximum whiteness that can be achieved, preferring to opt for a more subtle improvement. We will discuss this with you during your consultation with us.

Whether you choose to have our ‘in clinic’ Zoom2 teeth whitening or our ‘at home’ version, you will find that these are both highly effective and very safe. In addition to that, this treatment is one of the most affordable cosmetic treatments available. We also offer a number of payment options to help you to spread your payments over a period of time; something which can be very helpful, especially given the current financial climate.

With people using cosmetic dental treatments to have a more attractive smile more often now, it is important that these are carried out safely and by a professional. Trying to save a few pounds by taking risks can cause significant and long term harm to your teeth and you may regret it for many years to come.

If you would like to find out more about our teeth whitening or other cosmetic procedures and live in the Epsom area, why not call the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre for an initial no obligation consultation on 01372 720136.