Many people today have heard about teeth whitening. Everybody wants a piece of this latest cosmetic enhancement hype. And rightfully so. Nothing makes a person look better than a shiny, white smile. On top of that, the treatment is affordable for most people. Granted, at the price of a few hundred dollars, it’s not exactly cheap! But it’s not overly expensive either. Whether you decide to whiten your teeth with an at home whitening kit, or you decide to have it done by a dentist… you’ll never have to spend more than $1000.

As a matter of fact, if you take your time to look around and inform yourself before you buy, you won’t even come near that figure. A lot of over the counter whitening products are much cheaper than that. Then there are the whitening kits that contain a hydrogen peroxide gel for you to whiten your teeth at home. Those are a little more expensive. Usually a few hundred dollars. Lastly, you can have your teeth whitened at the dentist’s office. This is the most expensive at $500 at the very least. It’s also the most effective.

Teeth Whitening Side Effects

But what of the teeth whitening side effects that come with all these various products and services? Certainly, you won’t have to worry about getting any undesired side effects from whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes. Those are completely harmless. If you’re lucky, they might make your teeth whiter by one or two shades. And the only side effect you’ll have from them are a fresh breath and a pleasant aftertaste.

The real danger lies with the products that use hydrogen peroxide to make your teeth whiter. It’s the hydrogen peroxide where the real results come from. This bleaching chemical is used in whitening kits at home. The dentist also uses this in his whitening treatments.

Hydrogen peroxide works in making your teeth whiter, by getting into your teeth’s enamel. The enamel is the tiny film that covers your teeth, thereby protecting the underlying tooth from harm. The stains that make your teeth yellow are in the enamel. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down the stains in your enamel, but also the enamel itself. If hydrogen peroxide is used in concentrations that are too high, your enamel will be damaged beyond repair.

If used correctly, the stains will be broken down and your enamel will heal until it reaches its former strength.

A number of temporary side effects that you could develop, are the result of accidentally swallowing some hydrogen peroxide. This can lead to temporary irritation of soft tissues in the mouth, nausea and headaches. The worst side effect you could suffer from teeth whitening, is that your enamel becomes too damaged. If that happens, you will be stuck with sensitive, painful teeth forever.