Your smile is one of the first things people see when they first meet you. It can be an important aspect of a first impression. Because of this everyone is constantly looking for the best ways to have the whitest and brightest smile! There are so many different home remedies to enhance your smile floating around on the internet, and a common example is using household bleach to clean your teeth.

So, can you clean your teeth with household bleach? In short, the answer is yes. However, it is not recommended. Because of the Sodium Hypochlorite that bleach contains, it gives you the ability to whiten your teeth, but that does not mean it is the best way to go about doing that. Along with those ingredients, it also contains several chemicals that you wouldn’t want entering your body, and you definitely shouldn’t be putting it in your mouth.

One of the main chemicals, sodium hypochlorite, in household bleach can be used to break down soft tissue in the body. That being said, it probably would do some harm to your gum tissue and could cause you serious damage.

Say you choose to go ahead and bleach your teeth, there are some serious hazards that this comes with. The consumption, whether that is swallowing or inhaling, of bleach is known to lead to poisoning. From our perspective, the risk of poisoning, gum decay, or other problems caused by the use of bleach on anything other than its original purpose is not worth even the whitest smile.

Using Household Bleach to Clean Your Teeth

If you visit Clorox.com it states that bleach is not meant for personal use, and we agree with this statement. There are many other safe options to brighten your smile at home, so why risk using something that might cause more damage than good?

Best Products for Cleaning Your Teeth

You might be asking yourself, “what are some safe products I can use to clean my teeth?” It can be scary when you start to think about all the chemicals you could potentially be putting in your body, but when you start looking at the best practices and products to keep your mouth clean, it ends up coming down to the basics.

Electric Toothbrushes

It’s no surprise that the number one thing dentists recommend using is a nice toothbrush, and they especially encourage battery-operated toothbrushes. These work to remove as much plaque as possible, reducing tooth and gum disease.

Dental Floss

Another product that you should be on the lookout for is the perfect floss for you. A highly recommended product is coconut oil coated floss. Its thicker width and unique flavors give you the feeling of freshly cleaned teeth by a professional. If string floss doesn’t work for you, another option is floss picks with exchangeable refill pieces.

These give you the ability to reach back and get every nook and cranny. If you are willing to make a bigger investment when it comes to your dental needs, a water flosser might be the product for you. These are great if you have any dental hardware such as brackets, implants, or bridges. It will allow for a deeper clean and a reduction of any inflammation or gum bleeding.

Home Remedies for Cleaning Your Teeth

If you aren’t wanting to spend money on new products, and are looking for some ways to clean your teeth and save a few bucks, we’ve got some home remedies for you to try! Although these are effective ways to keep your smile happy and healthy, they should not act as replacements for your normal dental routine (i.e. brushing, flossing, fluoride treatment and rinsing with mouthwash). Here are a few home remedies for whiter teeth:

Baking soda can be used to help fight tooth decay.

All you have to do is sprinkle it on your toothbrush with some water and brush like normal. Because baking soda is so coarse, you shouldn’t use this technique more than once a week.

Green tea protects against cavities, bad breath, and gum decay.

You can swap out your morning coffee with a cup of caffeinated green tea, giving you the same boost of energy while reducing oral bacteria which may even lower your chance of developing oral cancer. Although tempting, we recommend that you skip the sweeteners and additives when drinking green tea or you might lose the benefits that it has.

Tea tree oil is known for its ability to fight off infection.

If you mix 5 drops of oil with half a glass of water, it becomes a great mouth wash for after your daily brushing to help kill any remaining bacteria. This can easily become part of your daily routine.

Vitamin D is one of the biggest contributors to your dental health. 

If you are deficient in it, you are at a higher risk to get gum disease or tooth decay. Some ways to increase or manage your Vitamin D levels are getting plenty of time in sunlight and eating vitamin D rich foods.

Aloe Vera is a great solution for teeth whitening purposes.

You can use either the juice from the plant itself or use Aloe Vera gel that you can find from the grocery store. You can apply it onto your teeth and massage it in with a toothbrush, and then rinse with water. After a few weeks, you should start to see results.

Early Signs of Dental Problems

After reading that, you may be thinking to yourself “oh no, what if I have tooth and gum damage that I don’t know about.” Here are some early signs of dental problems:

Mouth Sores

These can vary in severity, and they come in different forms. Whether it’s a canker sore, a cold sore, leukoplakia, or candidiasis, if you have one of these for more than a week, we recommend getting it checked by a dentist.

Toothache

This can be the most common early sign of any dental trouble. Any pain in the mouth or jaw can be caused by a toothache, which normally points to a cavity, but can be a sign of gum disease.

Bleeding Gums

This is usually a sign of gingivitis. Any soreness could also be a sign of gum disease. All you have to do is pay a little extra attention to your gum health, adding flossing into your dental routine.

Bad Breath

This is the most obvious sign of poor dental hygiene but can go beyond that. If you can’t seem to knock your bad breath by following a simple dental routine, like brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing regularly, this can be a sign of potential gum disease.

Sensitive Teeth

If you experience pain when eating or drinking anything cold, you might be suffering from sensitive teeth, which can be caused by a few things. Some of these causes are fractured teeth, worn-out fillings, tooth decay, or gum disease. Depending on what is causing the sensitivity, treatment may vary, and you may need to consult a doctor.

The best way to keep your teeth clean is by living a healthy lifestyle. What you put in your body and how you treat it is going to directly reflect your dental health. Depending on your diet, you can either boost or cause destruction. We recommend staying away from a lot of sugar, sodas, and smoking. This will increase your chances of having a healthy smile.

There are some great household remedies to help you keep your teeth clean. However, you must stay away from the ones that could cause more harm than anything else such as household bleach. By practicing good dental care such as brushing and flossing routinely as well as visiting your Rogersville dentist twice a year, you will minimize your risk for tooth and gum disease.

Thank you for reading Modern Dental Hygiene! Find more oral health tips here.