Enamel Damage and Internal Illnesses: The Dental Disasters of Home Tooth Whitening Fads and Kits

It might seem like a good idea at the time when you pick up a teeth whitening kit off the shelf and decide to give it a go at home, but the consequences of that purchasing decision could be far greater than you imagined.

There are all sorts of fads and products that seem very convincing as a budget-friendly solution for fixing your smile with a whitening makeover, but there are all sorts of potential dental disasters that you need to think carefully about.

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Here is a look at some of the problems associated with trying to whiten your teeth yourself, including details of a trend for using charcoal, how you could do irreparable damage to your enamel, and why mouth guards could be bad news for your stomach.

Charcoal for white teeth?

The idea that something so black could produce whiter teeth seems daft when you think about it, but it hasn’t stopped a DIY teeth whitening trend taking hold.

Medical professionals have been quick to issue warnings about the trend for applying a charcoal-derived black mixture on your teeth.

The consequences of this fad could be far-reaching and dentists are stating that you could be putting yourself at risk from enamel deterioration and tooth erosion. As with so many product launches that can be classed as fads, there is normally a YouTube video that shows someone achieving spectacular results, which leads you to believe that you can enjoy whiter teeth if you copy the tactic.

The thinking behind using charcoal to whiten your teeth is that it is highly absorbent and this means it could work to absorb bacteria and stains when you brush your teeth with the product.

The fad for charcoal will probably fade sometime soon, but you could be left to contend with the consequences of your charcoal experiment long after that.

Enamel damage

There are various techniques to whiten your teeth and home whitening kits have proved popular with consumers as a seemingly viable alternative to visiting their dentist for teeth whitening treatment.

There are numerous home whitening kits on the market and plenty of them try to entice you with the promise of instant results. That might be the case and you could potentially see a noticeable improvement in the whiteness of your teeth in an instant, but the question you need to ask is at what price?

There is always the threat of irreparable damage to enamel hanging to consider, especially if you use the kits on a regular basis.

The majority of these home kits contain chlorine dioxide, which is used to clean swimming pools but not used in professional teeth whitening, which should tell you all you need to know about that idea.

Be wary of mouth guards

Another popular teeth whitening solution is the use of mouth guards containing hydrogen peroxide.

If there is a chemical leakage and you swallow some of this product during the whitening process, you could suffer chemical burns to your throat and stomach.

The message is loud and clear, think about what you are putting on your teeth as you could end up paying a higher price than you expected for trying to whiten your teeth at home.

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Comments

  1. No matter what treatment you use, your gums are more likely to be sensitive to the chemicals used to whiten your teeth, especially if your teeth are already infected. Be sensitive Gum burns are also possible and some white kits used at home can damage tooth enamel. Yellow teeth can often be cured with a whitening treatment. At Old Town Smiles, we offer our patients state-of-the-art treatments that whiten teeth effectively and efficiently. After treatment with us, you will have a wonderful smile that will brighten up to ten colors.