I have to begin by saying that I was hesitant to write a DIY post. Especially one on whitening at home. The only time I have ever done whitening was after I got my braces off in 9th grade so I certainly don’t have much experience in the area. I suppose I avoided it because of all of the hype that it makes your teeth sensitive, takes too much time, doesn’t really work or is just flat out too expensive. With that being said, I decided to give it go and just see if its possible to brighten your smile with ingredients found in any household. I am an avid Pinterest member and was able to find many recipes for homemade whitening kits pretty easily via my account. Some were more involved than others by way of ingredients or time commitment, but I decided to pick one of the simpler ones knowing I would be more likely to comply with less work involved.
So my particular recipe called for hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, regular mouthwash and toothpaste. All of these probably already exist in most households, including mine. What exactly do you do? First, gargle a mixture of one-half hydrogen peroxide and one-half mouthwash for one minute and then spit out and rinse. Next, combine 1 tsp baking soda, one-half tsp water and small amount of toothpaste together. Brush your teeth as you normally would with this mixture. Repeat twice a week!
Now I have been doing this for about three weeks to a month and have I seen significant results? Well I suppose only you can be the judge!
I didn’t have particularly discolored teeth before so it may be hard to tell, but I did see an improvement. Perhaps with more time you’d see even more. Beware though! Often times, these at home whitening procedures can weaken and break down enamel if done with too much frequency…thus the reason for performing just twice a week.
All in all, whitening is really hit or miss with everyone unless you are getting it done professionally at your dentist’s office. Everyone seems to yield different symptoms and different results. I seemed to have a mild experience with no sensitivity but others using this same recipe had different experiences. If you are at all hesitant, you can even ask your local dentist what he/she thinks or for all your options with whitening in general.
~Allison Haight, Alabama ’15
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