Hydrogen Peroxide Home Whitening

A common teeth-whitening tip online suggests using a mouth guard with a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, and soaking your teeth 10 minutes daily for two weeks. This is not a good idea. Using a mouth guard that is not specially fitted to your mouth by a dentist, can cause the mixture to irritate your gums. If your gums become recessed and the mixture touches an exposed root surface, you will cause damage. Another issue is the amount of hydrogen peroxide used in this mixture. The ADA recommended concentration for a tooth whitener is only 3.6 percent. Since you would be mixing this amount at home, it would be difficult to get your proportions exactly right. Letting a dental professional whiten your teeth in office is a much safer and effective way to get the white smile you’ve always wanted.