If you are deciding whether to make your own teeth whitener, purchase one at the store or see your dentist for professional whitening service, consider the risks of homemade teeth whiteners. What could be risky about something you make yourself, you ask? There are three risk factors involved with homemade teeth whiteners: ineffective cleaning agents, improperly handled chemicals and potentially harmful ingredients. We’ll look at them in order of risk level.
Ineffective whitening ingredients: This issue is a risk only in that homemade teeth whiteners may contain ingredients that don’t work. If you use the wrong ingredients in teeth whiteners they may not whiten teeth properly.
Improperly handled chemicals in homemade teeth whiteners: The only ingredients required for homemade teeth whitener recipes should be common household ingredients. Chemical teeth cleaning ingredients should only be prepared by trained professionals. To procure certain chemicals requires a special license. You must be a chemist, science teacher, doctor or pharmacist to purchase many chemicals, even those marked “safe.” Individual chemicals may not be harmful, however their reaction when mixed with other chemicals can produce dangerous results.
Chemicals, including household, commercial and industrial, are required to have MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets). MSDS provide complete chemical profiles, including details on how chemicals react with each other, how they react to temperature variations and poisoning safety precautions. If an ingredient listed in your homemade teeth whitener recipe is unfamiliar to you, it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid it. You can purchase whiteners at the store, instead. Common household ingredients can react in unsafe ways when mixed with other ingredients. Here is the MSDS/NIH website for “common household products.”
Potentially harmful ingredients: Even ingredients labeled “herbal,” “organic,” and “natural” can be dangerous when used orally. Some ingredients are dangerous for certain populations. Just as diabetics must use sugar-free teeth cleaning products, hypertensive people need to exercise caution with teeth cleaning products. Salt and baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) are very effective cleaners, whiteners and antiseptics, but people with high blood pressure must avoid salt and sodium.
When used in homemade teeth whiteners, citrus ingredients, including lemon juice and orange peel, can damage tooth enamel. Hydrogen peroxide, another common ingredient in homemade teeth whiteners, is also an effective whitener. As it kills bacteria, however, hydrogen peroxide can kill living healthy flesh. Using it too often, for too long or in high concentration can be damaging. Store-bought whiteners may contain peroxide, but they are mixed with other ingredients and come with instructions. Hydrogen peroxide poses a risk when it comes in contact with gums, tongue and mouth. Peroxide may also damage tooth enamel with extended use. Bleach is a common household ingredient. Bleach is used in many teeth whiteners. Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) can be particularly dangerous, especially when mixed with another common household ingredient, ammonia.
If you are going to make your own homemade teeth whiteners, be sure to read up on all ingredients in the recipe. Avoid over-use of tooth whiteners, and you can safely achieve a white smile.
