One of the most recent TikTok beauty trends sees teens rubbing bleach straight on their teeth with a cotton bud, in an attempt to make them whiter.
In one such video, which has received more 15 million views, a teenager explains she buys hydrogen peroxide on its own, as it’s the main ingredient in whitening strips.
In the clip, she applies the hydrogen peroxide to her teeth with a cotton bud and explains that she stopped doing this after four days as the results were so ‘good’.
Since the TikTok videos, it’s been reported there’s been a huge spike in sales for hydrogen peroxide.
However, a dentist has warned that this TikTok trend can cause serious damage to young people’s teeth.
Dr Kunal Patel of Love Teeth Dental Practice in Surrey tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Applying hydrogen peroxide, or bleach as it’s more commonly known, is likely to lead to painful tooth sensitivity at best.
‘In the worst case scenario, a high concentration could bring about severe burns on the inside of the mouth, lips and gums. It could even result in the need for gum grafts and tooth loss, which can be tricky to fix.
‘Even more worrying is the fact that bleach can be deadly if consumed.’
While the results might seem instantly satisfying, Dr Kunal says applying bleach to your teeth may cause pain further down the line and cost a lot of money to correct.
He adds: ‘There’s a very simple reason why all dentists recommend only ever having your teeth whitened by a registered dental professional at a clinic.
‘By law, over the counter treatments must be of a low enough concentration so as not to do any harm, but this means they’re not usually strong enough to make a difference.
‘Treatments bought over the internet however, like hydrogen peroxide, are much stronger and bring with them the very real risk of burns and tooth damage.’
Dr Kunal Patel explains that, due to the danger surrounding the solution, teeth whitening should only ever be carried out by your dentist.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/27/dentist-warns-tiktok-teeth-whitening-trend-13186328/
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