The Best (and Safest) Teeth Whitening Methods

This advice on the best teeth whitening methods is based partly on fact and partly on opinion. The purpose of it is to help you figure out which methods are the safest, as well as which ones are the most effective yet only cost a reasonable price.

This mostly refers to at home whiteners but also could apply to dental bleaching. With that in mind read on to learn more. You will learn what is safe and what is not. This is more of a generalized article about the concentrations of bleaching than it is about specific products.

Recommendations

The recommendations usually are the ones that have a safe level of either hydrogen peroxide (approximately 10% max, usually around 6%) or carbamide peroxide (approximately 22% max, usually around 10%). The potency recommendations will vary depending upon expert reviewers and dental professionals, but at least you have an idea of what is recommended.

The exception would be if you visit a dentist and he or she bleaches your teeth in the office. This usually is completed in 30 minutes with a more potent supply of bleaching agent, at as high as 30% peroxide (approximately).

If you have any questions about the official recommended hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide levels you can visit the ADA website. You may be able to get some answers while contacting the American Dental Association outright if you have any concerns.

Solutions to Avoid

You should not use any chlorine bleaching cream or bleach product in your mouth! This could be very dangerous, and deadly if you were to swallow it. Furthermore, be very careful about using too high of a concentration of hydrogen or carbamide peroxide.

It would be best to avoid certain at-home solutions that are more than 25% of the carbamide or the hydrogen peroxide equivalent. For sure never use more than the 30%. When you get beyond that you are talking some very dangerous concentrations.

Caution

Some people say you should not use laser whitening but this is only one opinion. It is very effective. You should just be aware that it could dry out your teeth. Furthermore, any mild solution that comes with contact with your gums could cause burning, redness, or irritation.

Tooth sensitivity could result as well. This is from the enamel being stripped from your teeth if you use too potent of a bleaching concentration. When in doubt use a lower concentration of product and then just use it over a longer time.