Make Your Own Tooth Whitening Gel - Without Paying A Fortune!
Many people, including actors and actresses, modeling professionals, and public figures desire bright smiles with white teeth. A large majority of persons also believe, according to popular opinion polls, that nice smiles help persons to make friends, get good jobs, and even have successful first dates. Because of this, cosmetic dentistry has become a very successful field.
Most people, however, are unwilling to pay a cosmetic dentist thousands of dollars to have their teeth whitened. This is particularly so because of the wide variety of home teeth whitening kits available to be used in the privacy of one’s own washroom. The prices of these kits range from $20 to $300. This can be costly, especially for persons on a tight budget. Several products commonly found in the home can help to make a person’s teeth several shades whiter.
Whitening gels can be made at home by using simple household chemicals. The first of these, hydrogen peroxide, can be purchased at the local pharmacy in the widely available three percent solution. This is the same chemical that is most often used in commercial teeth whitening kits; however, the gel in these kits contain at least 22 percent peroxide, so the peroxide you can purchase locally may not offer results as rapidly as the commercial kits. Peroxide also breaks down surface stains and kills bacteria in the mouth.
Sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, is also easily purchased at the pharmacy or grocery store. This product can also be used in making a teeth whitening compound. Baking soda also fights bacteria, neutralizes acids in the mouth, and removes surface stains.
Another product that can be used is glycerin, which can be bought in grocery stores, pharmacies, and health food shops. This vegetable oil causes bacteria to stop moving around. Because these germs must move to remain alive, this product hastens their death. Unscented Neutrogena soap achieves exactly the same results as glycerin.
To create a home whitening gel using these ingredients, add a few drops of glycerin to a small amount of baking soda (about one teaspoon). Continue to add glycerin until the paste is thoroughly moistened without becoming runny. Add about two tablespoonfuls of hydrogen peroxide to a glass of drinking water.
Take a toothbrush, rinse it with hydrogen peroxide, and brush it lightly over the cake of soap. Apply some of the baking soda paste. Brush your teeth thoroughly, rinsing the toothbrush intermittently with hydrogen peroxide. After brushing the entire mouth, rinse well and gargle with the peroxidated water.
Brushing one’s teeth in this manner twice daily will help to decrease the risk of gum disease and other bacterial problems in the mouth. It will also lighten the teeth by several shades over a period of time. It may not work as quickly as commercial whitening kits or dental treatments, but it is much less costly and at least as healthy for the teeth and gums in the long term.
