Can You Use Hydrogen Peroxide Solution to Whiten Teeth?
Reasons to Avoid Store-Bought Hydrogen Peroxide for Whitening
- Mouth rinses are not an effective delivery method for bleaching agents – Hydrogen peroxide readily reacts with saliva and other areas of the mouth, which is counterproductive to tooth whitening. You want a controlled effect on stains and only stains.
- You don’t know how long it has been sitting on the shelf – Sure it says 3% Hydrogen Peroxide on the bottle, but with time hydrogen peroxide reacts to form water and oxygen. Depending on the conditions the solution that has been stored and transported in, there can be wide variations in hydrogen peroxide concentration so you can’t make assumptions regarding the hydrogen peroxide concentration listed on the bottle compared to dental bleaching products.
- Hydrogen Peroxide Solutions are highly acidic – To preserve its shelf life, hydrogen peroxide solutions must be manufactured to be acidic (pH = ~4.4). Rinsing with erosive liquids can be very damaging to your enamel.
Instead of messing around with hydrogen peroxide solution, whiten your teeth using sustainable methods.
A big thank you to MySafetySign for letting us use their hydrogen peroxide warning sign.
Ready to brighten your smile? Visit our orthodontics office in Chesapeake, Norfolk, or Virginia Beach at one of the convenient locations for professional teeth whitening services!
