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OxiClean
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I spoke with someone who said they use OxiClean and water to make a watery paste to brush their teeth. They said this whitens their teeth. I did not ask how often they did this. I assumed it was daily since it was brushing their teeth but I guess it could be weekly or monthly. They said it does taste awful but it keeps their teeth looking white. My first thoughts were to ask was this safe. Does it harm the tooth enamel or gums? Can it mess up your dental work? Later I googled this and found others do it too. Others said it is the same as peroxide and they brush or gargled 10 mins daily with peroxide. Then I read it can loosen the gums. So what is the truth. Can OxiClean be used to brush your teeth to make them whiter? Is it effective? Safe? Damaging? How often?
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I've never heard of this but I'll try to look into it. My gut reaction is to agree with Rozy but I'll see if I can back up my gut with some brains.
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I think the active ingredient in OxyClean is Sodium Percarbonate.
When Sodium Percarbonate is mixed with water will give Hydrogen Peroxide an Sodium Carbonate. Hydrogen Peroxide can certainly be used to bleach teath, but it's not without risks and side effects, but probably more risk to gums than the tooth enamel.
The thing we don't know about is the other ingredients that may be in the Oxiclean or the purity of all the raw materials the quality of manufacturing process. There are far far difernet standards for household cleaning products verses cosmetic & dental products.
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Hydrogen peroxide is in te new Colgate range -- Optic White. That's probably your best bet safety-wise if you want the whitening you get from something like Oxyclean. Personally, I'd avoid peroxide full stop, but that's mainly because I've had sensitive teeth in the past so I'm always just a little bit more cautious.
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@Alchemist - thanks! I'm curious how much hydrogen peroxide OxyClean generates. Over the counter oral products use very low levels because the peroxide can come in contact with tissue (rather than just tooth enamel) and cause damage. Dentists can use higher levels because they can more carefully control the application. My guess is that OxyClean may be generating a level that is fine for cleaning purposes but that is far higher than what's safe for contact with oral mucosa. I see no reason to take the risk and use a product like this when so many safer alternatives are available.
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Thank you all for the info and Rozy for the concern. :) I was not intending to jump out there and try OxiClean in my mouth. I just had never heard of such a thing previously and found it odd when I did hear it. Then to google it and see others thought it was a bright idea too made my mind start to wonder all sorts of things. So I thought I was ask some of those questions here. It just made me curious to know if it was safe and if it was effective but I agree wholeheartedly that there are too many other known safe choices to use. So if I may ask what damage does peroxide do to the gums or tissue? Does it loosen the gums? Just curious. Not trying to move forward with peroxide as a mouthwash rinse.
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Here the limit for general availability is 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, at 3 to 6% it must be pruchased from a registered health practitioner (so dentists, pharmacists, Drs) after a consultation and above 6% the product can only be legally accessed by registered health practitioner.
Hydrogen Peroxide is a strong oxidant, and it can also pentetrate the skin causing bleaching and killing skin cells. My guess is if you kill enough of the cells around the gums your teeth will fall out.
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Yes, but the teeth that fall out will be pearly white!
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