Inexpensive teeth whitening

[kenny]

I take super good care of my teeth and gums.
I brush and floss every day, and go to the dentist every 6 months for deep cleaning/scaling or whatever they call it.
My dentist says most Americans get gum disease but I never have and he expects I'll take all my teeth to the grave.

Still, I'm in my 50s and aging results in natural teeth yellowing.
Coffee and tea make it worse.

Teeth cleaning at the dentist is quick but costs hundreds of dollars.
Those strips you buy for home use work too, but they are expensive and a gross hassle to use, and irritated my gums a little.

A month ago I asked my dental hygienist if there was a cheaper way.
She told me buy a bottle of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide for about a buck.
Pour half of it into another container. (Store it in the dark)
Then fill the original container with water to get a 50/50 solution.

Every other night rinse with this solution for one minute and spit it out.

I've done this for a month and it is amazing.
It really really works well, and no gum irritation.
I'm so happy to smile now.

 

[yssie]

mouthwashing with a dilute solution of h2o2 has other benefits too - like disinfecting

 

[LAJennifer]

Thanks for the tip, Kenny. I''ll definitely try this. I''ve also heard that ear drops (carbamide peroxide) works really well - but I haven''t been brave enough to try it.

 

[reader]

The peroxide is also helpful if you have gum disease. That is what dad uses it for.

Kenny, also add a tiny bit of baking soda to your toothpaste.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Cool, thanks for the tip. I''ve found that brushing with Crest Vivid White has really helped maintain the whitening I did before my wedding last summer. It gets rid of the daily stains from drinks and food.

 

[radiantquest]

Thanks for the tip. I recently purchased a product by PlusWhite. You rinse with a solution, then brush your teeth to loosen and then use these trays. It feels a little like it is burning when it is on there, nothing severe and then you let it sit for at least 5 minutes and then rinse. I also use the crest vivd white, but only in the morning. I use that new iso-active toothpaste that foams like crazy at night because I feel that it does a better job of cleaning then the vivd white because of the "foaming action". So my question back to you is Do I use continue what I am doing and then at night rinse with the peroxide instead of the usual Listerine? Do I rinse or just spit and walk out of the bathroom?

 

[CasaBlanca]

Yeap, My Dentist refused to whiten me...and said the same. Said he couldn''t take me whiter and that I could maintain the whiteness your way, Kenny. He did say all can benefit...but those with milder staining will definitely recognize the change. Sometimes I don''t cut it...straight up for me!

The thing I hate about it...is the FOAMING. It seems to stick on your tongue and other areas... like oh, say tape sticks to a cats paw...ok that was silly to say...but I usually have to rinse well after or I look like Kujo...you know that mean old dog from that movie? Koojo, Kujoe...oh well -however I got two animals into a thread about teeth whitening, well that is a skill.

Just another to say Ditto to you Kenny!

 

[kenny]

Date: 3/19/2010 10:22:17 AM
Author: CasaBlanca
The thing I hate about it...is the FOAMING. It seems to stick on your tongue and other areas...
Just another to say Ditto to you Kenny!

Hmm, I don't get the foaming or sticking to the tongue.
I suspect here's why...

First I brush really well, including the insides of the cheeks and the tongue (plaque builds up there too).
Then I floss.
Then I use my tongue cleaner to scrape the plaque out of my tongue several times until using it collets nothing.

Then I use the HP solution.
By then most of the plaque is removed.
Then I brush one last time.
I am very fussy with my oral hygiene.

Also maybe it's more likely to foam when you use HP full strength.

 

[kenny]

Date: 3/19/2010 9:22:46 AM
Author: radiantquest
Thanks for the tip. I recently purchased a product by PlusWhite. You rinse with a solution, then brush your teeth to loosen and then use these trays. It feels a little like it is burning when it is on there, nothing severe and then you let it sit for at least 5 minutes and then rinse. I also use the crest vivd white, but only in the morning. I use that new iso-active toothpaste that foams like crazy at night because I feel that it does a better job of cleaning then the vivd white because of the 'foaming action'. So my question back to you is Do I use continue what I am doing and then at night rinse with the peroxide instead of the usual Listerine? Do I rinse or just spit and walk out of the bathroom?

Sorry RR, I don't know the answer.
Ask your dentist or hygienist.
I think we have a dentist poster here; perhaps she will respond.

When it come to using chemicals a rule of thumb I like is to use the minimum amount that gives you acceptable results.

 

[megumic]

What does the hydrogen peroxide and water solution taste like? Just want to prepare my palate!

 

[kenny]

The taste is not really noticeable during use; it's more of a weak aftertaste.
It is not really similar to anything else, so it is a little disconcerting at first.

I would say it is not a good taste but not very bad either, kind of dull and chalk-like.
I do not like the taste, but it's not bad enough to make me dread it.
I brush my teeth and clean my tongue afterwards.

I was very hesitant to try this because of concern over the taste (and I had associations of using HP only for cleaning cuts), but it ain't that bad really.

BTW, here is a wonderful ADA link on flossing that has a link to a video on flossing.

Click

 

[CasaBlanca]

The taste to me is like Aloe Vera...but if you haven''t tasted that ...then that comparison won''t help much. Just a neutral ph balanced like...light taste. Not that bad, honest.

The peroxide is going to bubble when it attacks a germ or bacteria...just like it would if you use it for a wound dressing. While Kenny waters his down, it more than likely tastes more weak than my STRAIGHT up version. My is turbo charged at the full undiluted amount...hence my rabies foam experience!

Kenny,

You and I are on the same page on cleaning...I just went it and he told me to get out of his chair! I thought geeze what did I do? He said, there is nothing to scale, nothing to clean, you have obviously been seeing another! No bill...just a pat on the back for a job well done!

So ...technically my technique trumps yours....that is..if you have to be scaled every 6! Ha...just poking fun at you!

 

[kenny]

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/19/2010 2:49:45 PM
Author: megumic
What does the hydrogen peroxide and water solution taste like? Just want to prepare my palate!

It tastes slightly salty I think. I am another peroxide whitener.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Date: 3/19/2010 1:26:03 AM
Author:kenny
I take super good care of my teeth and gums.
I brush and floss every day, and go to the dentist every 6 months for deep cleaning/scaling or whatever they call it.
My dentist says most Americans get gum disease but I never have and he expects I''ll take all my teeth to the grave.

Still, I''m in my 50s and aging results in natural teeth yellowing.
Coffee and tea make it worse.

Teeth cleaning at the dentist is quick but costs hundreds of dollars.
Those strips you buy for home use work too, but they are expensive and a gross hassle to use, and irritated my gums a little.

A month ago I asked my dental hygienist if there was a cheaper way.
She told me buy a bottle of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide for about a buck.
Pour half of it into another container. (Store it in the dark)
Then fill the original container with water to get a 50/50 solution.

Every other night rinse with this solution for one minute and spit it out.

I''ve done this for a month and it is amazing.
It really really works well, and no gum irritation.
I''m so happy to smile now.

Do you also brush with Baking Soda? I had my teeth cleaned in Jan. and have been using BS and peroxide since then and I can see a real difference--and I''m a big tea/soda drinker, so staining can be a problem.

This is the fastest and most inexpensive bleaching/cleaning method I''ve ever used.

 

[CasaBlanca]

Just for you Kenny

 

[jewelerman]

You guys read my mind!I have been thinking about /wondering how to whiten my pearly whites!i will be stopping by the store right after work!Another great health and money saving tip from Pricescope! We should have a section on money saving tips!

 

[AprilBaby]

Hydrogen Peroxide can cause black hairy tongue over long term use and can be a carcingen (encourages free radicals in the mouth) . Stick with Carbamide peroxide if you can find it or use the pain in the butt white strips. Black Hairy tongue might look good on Kenny.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Date: 3/19/2010 12:07:35 PM
Author: kenny

Date: 3/19/2010 10:22:17 AM
Author: CasaBlanca
The thing I hate about it...is the FOAMING. It seems to stick on your tongue and other areas...
Just another to say Ditto to you Kenny!

Hmm, I don''t get the foaming or sticking to the tongue.
I suspect here''s why...

First I brush really well, including the insides of the cheeks and the tongue (plaque builds up there too).
Then I floss.
Then I use my tongue cleaner to scrape the plaque out of my tongue several times until using it collets nothing.

Then I use the HP solution.
By then most of the plaque is removed.
Then I brush one last time.
I am very fussy with my oral hygiene.

Also maybe it''s more likely to foam when you use HP full strength.

Sorry, I didn''t mean to give you a complex over on that other thread.

 

[kenny]

No problem MM.
I really am fussy.
I'm not ribbing you, just having fun going with it.



Black hairy tongue?
Are you joking?
EEK.

CB I think that's Shirley Temple. Hehehe.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/19/2010 4:38:16 PM
Author: AprilBaby
Hydrogen Peroxide can cause black hairy tongue over long term use and can be a carcingen (encourages free radicals in the mouth) . Stick with Carbamide peroxide if you can find it or use the pain in the butt white strips. Black Hairy tongue might look good on Kenny.

 

[lightningbug]

Oh yeah, Kenny! I use a 50/50 sol'n of hydrogen peroxide + water, too. Works great for whitening and breath freshening. My dad, uncle, and FI's two best friends are all dentists. They give it multiple thumbs-up.

 

[CasaBlanca]

Kenny, she is doing a curtsy to your bow...you know in exchange for your bow to my supremacy?

Geeze, BHT is frowned on where I come from. Thanks for the heads up, April Baby! Don''t want to start a new thread on how to shave your BHT on the cheap!

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Date: 3/19/2010 5:49:47 PM
Author: kenny
No problem MM.
I really am fussy.
I''m not ribbing you, just having fun going with it.



Black hairy tongue?
Are you joking?
EEK.

CB I think that''s Shirley Temple. Hehehe.

Your fussiness is part of your charm.

I have no fussiness about me, but even I would draw the line at black hairy tongue, I suspect. Is that for real?!

 

[AprilBaby]

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dentistry-966/ORAL-HYGIENE.htm

Yes it is for real, was in all our oral surgery books. And I have seen it in practice. Kills all the good bacteria and causes overgrowth of bad bacteria. But again, some people might look manly with it

All bleaching kits contain CARBAMIDE peroxide. Don''t wanna get those free radicals and mouth cancer risk from the HYDROGEN peroxide. I know way more about dentistry than diamonds, so here is my niche!

 

[kenny]

Thanks AB.
I read the link.
That's talking bout using the 3% full strength HP for 10 minutes.
I'm using it half of that strength for a minute.
That link says full strength for 10 minutes is too weak to work, but I've seen dramatic results.

Not arguing, just responding.

Wiki and mayo clinic have info on "Black Hairy Tongue" too, sounds much more alarming and worse than it really is - not that anyone would want it.
Mayo says it's temporary.
I'll keep an eye out and stop if I see any symptom of this and discuss it with my DDS.

 

[PumpkinPie]

Thanks for the tip Kenny

 

[radiantquest]

I tried the peroxide last night. I brushed, flossed, rinsed, brushed the peroxide around and then scoped to get that minty feeling. I did it 100% because I have no place to put a half a bottle of peroxide. Anyway, it made my tongue burn. What is that about? Why did my tongue burn? Does that mean that I have a higher chance of black hairy tongue????

I only rinsed for 60 seconds. I am ok right? No blackness yet...

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/20/2010 12:09:30 PM
Author: radiantquest
I tried the peroxide last night. I brushed, flossed, rinsed, brushed the peroxide around and then scoped to get that minty feeling. I did it 100% because I have no place to put a half a bottle of peroxide. Anyway, it made my tongue burn. What is that about? Why did my tongue burn? Does that mean that I have a higher chance of black hairy tongue????

I only rinsed for 60 seconds. I am ok right? No blackness yet...

Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidising agent and what you can feel is the chemical reaction which stings a bit, sometimes on tissue it will turn it temporarily white too! You can see this especially on fingers if you use permanent hair colours without gloves. I am sure you won't get the black hairy tongue from what you did and I am sure April will be able to give you proper advice!

 

[kenny]

Date: 3/20/2010 12:09:30 PM
Author: radiantquest
I did it 100% because I have no place to put a half a bottle of peroxide.

Try this.
Put one tablespoon HP and one tablespoon water in a glass, mix, use.