Naked Science Series 3

DIY Teeth Whitening Kits

Day to day living takes its toll on your teeth. Tea, coffee, smoking or strongly coloured foods can stain and discolour your gnashers. So, if you don’t fancy coughing up the cash to get your pearly whites done professionally, then you might want to look at some over-the-counter kits. These are sold in most major chemists and usually contain rubber mouth trays and tubes of bleaching gel. The bleaching ingredient in the gel contains weak hydrogen peroxide, meaning that it tends to be not as effective as the stronger stuff dentists use.

The bleaching gels in these home kits may not work for certain types of discolouration; especially those caused by metal fillings or damaged blood vessels inside the tooth. They are also not suitable for those who have gum diseases or crowns.

Your DNA also has something to do with the colour of your teeth, the same as with your skin or hair. Plus, as you age your dentine – the soft, pulpy bit below the enamel that protects the nerves and the blood supply to the tooth – becomes more yellow. So remember to ask your dentist for advice before using one of these kits when trying to get closer to Julia Roberts’ million dollar smile.

So, should you be rushing to your nearest chemist to grab hold of one of these kits? Well, our army of naked testers thought those teeth whiteners seemed messy to use. They also thought that despite the impressive claim of being able to erase those pesky stains as well as the professional grade stuff, only 5% of our lovely ladies thought there was any kind of difference. Sounds like if you want a significant change in the colour of your teeth – you should go to your dentist.

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