Hydrogen Peroxide Whitening Toothpaste: Common Questions

Dentist Blog

If you are looking to improve the look of your smile but you can't afford the cost of professional whitening treatments, you might be thinking about investing in a tube of hydrogen peroxide toothpaste as an alternative. You may have some questions about how this type of toothpaste works and its safety. Below is a brief guide to hydrogen peroxide toothpaste.

How does hydrogen peroxide whitening toothpaste work?

Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent which is found in a wide range of everyday products such as anti-acne cream and hair colouring products. It is also added to toothpaste. When you apply the hydrogen peroxide to your teeth, any stains on the enamel are bleached. This creates a nice white smile.

What are the benefits of using hydrogen peroxide whitening toothpaste?

Day in and day out, you consume a range of food and drink which can cause staining. While standard toothpaste will help to remove some of these stains, the more stubborn stains can become ingrained, ruining your smile. Hydrogen peroxide whitening toothpaste is capable of lifting these ingrained stains.

Another benefit of using a toothpaste which contains hydrogen peroxide is that unlike other solutions such as using bleaching strips or a whitening pen, hydrogen peroxide whitening toothpaste will also clean your teeth. This means that as well as reducing levels of plaque, which can lead to increased levels of staining on your teeth, it also reduces the amount of tooth decay and the number of cavities.

Professional teeth whitening treatment can be an expensive affair and can require multiple visits to a cosmetic dentist. By using hydrogen peroxide toothpaste as part of your daily dental hygiene routine, you can avoid having to spend the money and time on professional cosmetic dental treatment.

Is hydrogen peroxide toothpaste safe?

Provided that you follow the guidance from the manufacturer, which should be printed on the packaging or box which the toothpaste was supplied in, hydrogen peroxide toothpaste is a highly safe way for adults to whiten their teeth. The only thing you may notice when you begin to use whitening toothpaste is that your teeth feel a little more sensitive to hot or cold food and drink. You should never allow a child to use whitening toothpaste, as the bleaching product could damage their teeth and gums.

If you have any questions or concerns about whitening toothpaste, you should contact your dentist today.

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2 August 2016

Dental Health: Not To Be Taken For Granted

As a retired dentist, I work with charities which visit developing countries and educate children about dental care. It gives me great satisfaction to revisit these communities and see how proud the children are of their efforts. I am acutely aware that good dental hygiene can help prevent a range of serious conditions when these children become older. I started this blog because it greatly distresses me that many people in Australia do not seem to care for their teeth as much as children in these poor communities. This is happening despite ready access to items like toothbrushes and toothpaste which are luxuries in the places I visit. It is my hope that this blog encourages you not to take dental health for granted. My greatest wish is that you can be as inspired as the children I see in my charity work. Please read on and enjoy.