I want to bleach my teeth so they don’t look so yellow. I know dentists use those trays. Is there a way to keep bleach on your teeth without them? I have a whole jug of bleach at my house and I thought I could use that to bleach my teeth. If there’s not a way to use a homemade type of tray, what about just brushing with it? Will that work?

Stacey A.

Dear Stacey,

I appreciate that you’re trying to find ways to bleach your teeth yourself. Unfortunately, this isn’t the way to do it. When dentists bleach your teeth, they don’t actually use bleach. Instead, they used a specialized peroxide gel.

Bleach is a base, like Lye, which means it is corrosive and can burn living tissue. Ironically, bleach is used in a dental procedure for that very reason. Dentists use it in root canal treatments to clean out and dissolve all the dead debris left.

While you might try something like brushing or rinsing with it, you will damage the tissue in your mouth. There are over the counter whitening kits that will work, such as Crest Whitestrips. It is significantly weaker than what you get at the dentist, but it will work.

While it is less expensive to get a box of Crest Whitestrips, than to do professional teeth whitening, in the long run it will end up costing you significantly more money. You’ll have to use quite a few boxes to do the same thing just one treatment with your dentist will do.

If cost is the only thing keeping you from doing it through your dentist, then I suggest that you shop around. Look for a dentist who advertises as an affordable dentist. Their prices will either be lower or they will be more willing to work with you on payments.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Family Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.