Are teeth whitening kits safe? The risks involved with teeth whitening at home

While teeth whitening is safe if carried out correctly, there are potential risks and side effects involved. Risks increase if the treatment is unsupervised, specifically if using whitening kits at home. To reduce risks it's imperative that teeth whitening is always monitored by, or conducted at a medical centre with a registered dentist.

In this article, we talk about some of the risks of the popular home teeth bleaching products. There are currently so many options available on the market to whiten your teeth at home, so we'll answer the questions:

‘Does teeth whitening at home work and is it safe?”

Dental whitening at home

There are lots of media roundups and articles online about the best at-home teeth whitening. There are new promotions about teeth whitening products, whitening gels and the glamour of pearly whites almost daily on various media streams. Whitening is a growing cosmetic trend, with an increasingly growing number of people thinking about the different kinds of teeth whitening. But which of them are legitimate and more importantly - safe?

Teeth brightening and improving your smile can be a perfect standalone treatment to improve the whiteness of your teeth or to perfect your newly aligned smile. The whitening effects of bleaching can be safe and effective if done properly - in most cases needing to be conducted by a dental professional. But, what are the risks of dental whitening at home?

Well, you might be surprised to read that research released by review titan, ‘Which?’ found that in an analysis of home whitening kits bought online, they found the six most dangerous whiteners available to buy had more than 100 times too much hydrogen peroxide to be sold legally.

Using home whitening kits

Teeth whitening at home usually involves using a prescribed dose of bleach (hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) to make your teeth a lighter shade.

The lightening agent is used with a retainer or a mouthguard usually provided in the kit. You apply the guard for a set amount of time after adding the right amount of gel in the guard and repeat the process as recommended over a period of time to achieve the illustrated results.

You might think there’s a brilliant white shade that is perfect, but whitening agents can vary hugely in strength - especially if ordering a home bleaching kit. It’s also not as easy to manage the shade of preference for someone who wants to lighten their teeth if they’re doing it at home. This means there are many factors to consider that can affect the results.

The Impress whitening treatment happens in our clinics with qualified dentists managing the application and the safety of each procedure. You can find out more about getting a whiter smile at your nearest clinic, or any of our other treatments here.

Keep reading to find out more about the risks of whitening your teeth at home.

Does teeth whitening at home actually work?

With so many options for home teeth whitening treatments on the market, it's important to know what can be achieved with the product you use if buying something online, or off the shelf.

It can often be the case that the amount of bleach in-home whitening products doesn't contain a high enough concentration for them to be effective - or the opposite, leaving you with too high a dose and no specific medical supervision which could lead to injury.

You should also consider that as whitening your teeth at home isn’t as accurate as a whitening treatment done by a dentist the mouthguard might not fit around your gumline properly, causing some gel to leak out onto your gums and in your mouth which is a recipe for medical injuries such as blistering, burns and prolonged sensitivity.

Some other dangers to consider when whitening teeth at home

Below we list some more about the possible risks and side effects of using teeth whitening kits that have not been approved by a dentist or medical professional:

• Results that aren’t what you expected or desired (in some cases irreversible)

• Gum irritation, inflammation and itching

• Damaged or weakened enamel causing porosity and more potential for staining

• Increased sensitivity in the teeth for an undiagnosed length of time

• Allergic reactions and rashes

As affordable as whitening your teeth at home may seem, you should always look at different kinds of whitening to avoid the temptation of unregulated kits that are available on platforms such as TikTok and non-registered vendors.

Opting initially for a cheaper do-it-yourself type kit is something that can leave you in a much more costly position than the teeth whitening treatment your dentist offers, putting your oral health and financial health at risk. Professional teeth whitening doesn't come without risks, but it is safer to carry out such treatments in a controlled environment and under the supervision of a qualified, GDC-dentist.

How can I lighten my yellow teeth naturally?

The best way to manage the reduction of yellow teeth is to avoid foods and drinks that stain teeth easily, such as red fruits, carbonated drinks, excessive processed sugars and red wine. It’s also important to brush your teeth in between meals to avoid any food or liquid being able to become a more embedded stain.

If you're ready to step up the shine on that fabulous smile, you can also enhance your shade by whitening at home naturally, using things such as bicarbonate of soda toothpaste or activated charcoal.

How do I find out about getting my teeth whitened?

If you want the team at Impress to help you secure a superb smile, leave your teeth whitening in the hands of a professional and book your free appointment for an orthodontic consultation.

We recommend that it’s always best to ask your dentist for advice on your suitability for teeth whitening or send an enquiry form to our booking team who can advise you on scheduling an appointment.

Citation: Which?, (2020) 'Why you need to be wary of home tooth whitening kits'