If you're looking to lighten the colour of your smile, you may also be wondering if home remedies like hydrogen peroxide can do the job safely. Here, our Calgary dentist explain the difference between natural and professional at-home teeth whitening options.
Maintaining a routine of proper flossing and brushing, along with visits to your dentist twice a year, is the best way to achieve a healthy smile. But in some cases, you may also want to lighten the colour of your teeth.
There are a number of at-home teeth whitening options available. Here, our Calgary set the record straight between natural home remedies and at-home whitening kits you can get from your dentist.
The Truth About Hydrogen Peroxide & Home Remedies
Homemade tooth whitening remedies are not optimal for good oral health. Any tooth whitening effects can be offset by damage to your teeth.
While hydrogen peroxide does have natural bleaching ability, it's only at a 3 percent concentration. This means you’d need months before seeing a difference in your smile and likely suffer from irritation of the gum and teeth along the way.
Other home remedies such as baking soda and apple cider vinegar, should also be avoided. They can be abrasive and erode your tooth enamel over time.
At-Home Professional Teeth Whitening Options
Lightning your smile in a way that's safe and effective is as easy as visiting your dentist for professional teeth whitening.
Mosts dentists offer both in-office treatments as well as at-home kits for your convenience. Whitestrips and custom whitening trays are both safe at-home, dentist-supervised whitening options.
Whitestrips from your dental office come in a stronger solution than over-the-counter versions, making them work faster. Tray whitening requires an initial visit to the dentist, so custom whitening trays can be made for you. You then take the trays and whitening solution home, and manage the whitening treatment yourself.
No matter what you choose, you can rest assured that all at-home whitening products offered by your dentist have been researched and approved by federal health regulatory agencies.
They are simple, non-invasive procedures that will lighten the colour of your natural tooth enamel and can give your smile a new, refreshed look without causing any damage.