Peroxide for Teeth Whitening
I understand that the teeth whitening gel that dentists use are made of peroxide. I was thinking about saving some time going back and forth to the dentist by just whitening with the peroxide I have at home. How long would I have to keep it on? Do you have any recommendations for how to go about it?
Laurie
Dear Laurie,
While it is true that dentists use a peroxide to whiten teeth, it is not the peroxide you are purchasing over the counter. Using over-the-counter peroxide That is a liquid 3% solution, which is very weak. What your dentist uses is a gel that is at least 33% peroxide. It’s significantly stronger.
If you were to try to do this yourself, you would need to keep the peroxide on your teeth for a minimum of fifteen minutes at a time for it to penetrate the teeth. Because it would be liquid that would mean that you would have to keep swishing it around in your mouth for that length of time. Not only would that be uncomfortable for you and impractical, but there is a negative medical side effect, too.
This is because peroxide is great at killing bacteria. The only problem with that is it does not distinguish between good an bad bacteria. As a result, you will end up with an oral yeast infection on the soft tissue in your mouth.
The safest thing for you to do is to have professional teeth whitening done. Not only is the whitening more effective because it is stronger and in gel form, but your dentist will provide you with a custom fitted tray that you will wear over your teeth. This will keep the gel on your teeth while protecting your mouth and gums. You won’t have to go back and forth, You can wear the trays at home and your dentist will provide you with the gel to take with you.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Click here to learn about in office Zoom Whitening where you can get brilliantly white teeth in just one appointment.
Is a Tooth Infection Dangerous?
I had a broken molar. It was doing okay but now my mouth hurts and now my cheek has started hurting. I took some antibiotics I had left over from a throat infection, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. One of the guys at work said that leaving it is dangerous, but I don’t have dental insurance. I don’t really feel like spending a ton of money if it is not dangerous. It hurts, but I can live with it. So, is it really dangerous?
Danny
Dear Danny,
I’m afraid your friend at work is correct. Untreated tooth infections are dangerous. In fact, people die from untreated tooth infections every year. This is because antibiotics alone do not cure a tooth infection. This is why you weren’t having any luck with the antibiotics you used. Though, I’m a bit concerned about you having leftover antibiotics. I don’t know if your doctor told you this but when you are prescribed antibiotics it is important you finish the entire amount even though you will be feeling better much sooner, often within twenty-four hours.
The most antibiotics can do is temporarily hold off the spread of a tooth infection. The only way to truly treat an infected tooth is to remove the infected pulp. There are two ways to do that. The first is by having a root canal treatment done. This is normally the best course of action because it will save the natural tooth structure.
If that isn’t possible than the second way to treat the infection is by extracting the tooth. That does mean you will need to replace the tooth. Otherwise you risk the adjacent teeth shifting or tipping into the empty spot. This will lead to bite problems and possibly TMJ Disorder. While a dental implant is the best tooth replacement, I know you are on a limited budget. Your dentist is ethically responsible for sharing all the options with you.
Get to a dentist. This infection you have is spreading. It’s already up to your cheek. You don’t want it spreading further and reaching your brain.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.