Is it possible to use 3% hydrogen peroxide that you can buy over the counter to whiten teeth?
Wendy from Edmund, OK
Wendy,
It is possible to rinse with peroxide, but it won’t make that much of a difference. You can still use an at-home treatment, but you should use one that is supervised by a dentist. Trays and a whitening agent will give you nice results just as long as you allow the solution to penetrate your teeth for a minimum of fifteen minutes. And for quicker results, the trays and whitening agent can safely be worn for a couple hours per day or overnight. Keep in mind that tooth stains are typically deep, so you want to be sure to whiten the dentin, which is beneath the tooth enamel.
Another alternative is to wear the Crest Whitestrips thirty minutes per day for two weeks. They have roughly a 6% peroxide concentration. This method will provide mild whitening, and it outperforms rinsing with 3% peroxide. This should give you a good perspective of how long it would take to whiten your teeth when just rinsing with peroxide.
Learn about options to whiten discolored teeth, such as Zoom whitening and cosmetic dentistry procedures.
