Can I use peroxide for teeth whitening?

The least my dentist will charge me for teeth whitening is $200. She even said I can do it on a payment plan, but right now I just cannot afford it. I was sick and out of work for 5 months and am a little behind on bills so right now. The timing is bad to get my dentist to do the whitening. My sister told me that if I have so much debt I shouldn’t even be thinking about whitening my teeth. I just want to feel better about myself so I want to move forward with teeth whitening. I have googled the different ways to get your teeth white at home. Peroxide looks like a safe choice and it sounds like it might me a legit and cheap way to do it. Can I really use peroxide for teeth whitening and get some decent results? I’m not expecting it to look like the dentist did it. I just want to improve the color of my teeth a little. Thanks. Sam.

Sam – Most household hydrogen peroxide is 3%. That is less than 1/3 the strength of over-the-counter whitening strips that are labeled as professional strength. If you use household peroxide for your teeth, here is what you can expect:

  • If you regularly swish the peroxide around in your mouth for a few minutes, surface stains on your teeth might be removed over time.
  • The peroxide is unable to stay in contact with your teeth long enough to remove embedded stains.
  • Peroxide is also not strong enough to break down embedded stains in your teeth.

Rinsing with household peroxide help some though, and you likely prefer some improvement rather than none at all. If you can buy whitening strips and stay within your budget, it’s a more effective alternative. Look at the packaging on the whitening strips to find a brand that is five to ten percent peroxide.

When you can afford teeth whitening from your dentist, the professional-strength bleaching gel will contain carbamide peroxide. Custom bleaching trays will help the gel penetrate your teeth and break down stains. Until then, whitening strips can help.

For the best results, use the strips after you’ve had a professional dental cleaning. Be sure your teeth and gums are healthy before you start the whitening process.

This post is sponsored by Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Steven Collins.