I started using hydrogen peroxide a couple of years ago as an experiment to whiten my teeth, which it did. I bought regular 3% pharmaceutical solution of hydrogen peroxide from Walgreens (hydrogen peroxide diluted to only 3% strength in 97% water). I followed the directions on the bottle and mixed the solution half and half with water (so the solution was now only 1.5% strength), and swished with it once or twice a day for 30 seconds or so. My friends started mentioning my whiter teeth after a couple of weeks.
That was a couple of years ago, but more recently I had a friend to whom I suggested the same thing. He tried it, and actually didn't dilute the hydrogen peroxide any further, but just swished with the 3% dilution from the bottle. After a few weeks he told me that he was really happy because his gums had stopped bleeding when he brushed his teeth. He said his gums had been bleeding a lot every time he brushed for a number of years, but that it had now completely stopped and they weren't bleeding at all anymore. I was so happy to hear that. I hadn't known he had been having problems with bleeding gums, which is a symptom of the gum disease, gingivitis. But I was very glad that he was able to find (quite by accident), a cure.
I also just recently figured out something else important about using the hydrogen peroxide. I have found that I can't use it very often because it really makes my lips dry and uncomfortable afterwards. I also read online that using hydrogen peroxide all of the time can be bad for your teeth because it is an acid and it can gradually wear down your enamel. On the bottle it says not to use it for more than two weeks at a time. But even this is too much for my mouth to handle.
But just recently I figured out that if I make a solution of baking soda and water (a teaspoon or two in a cup of water), and swish with it immediately after the hydrogen peroxide, my lips don't feel dry or uncomfortable, and I am sure it is better for my teeth, as well. That's because the baking soda solution is alkaline, so it neutralizes the acid after swishing with the peroxide. I make sure to get a little of the baking soda water on my lips after swishing with it to help them not have any acid left on them. I mix up a cup or two of the baking soda water and keep it in a bottle in my bathroom, ready-to-use with my other mouthwashes.
Also, be careful if you buy hydrogen peroxide to check the concentration level; there are some hydrogen peroxides available which are as much as 35% strength, which would be way too strong to use in your mouth. A dilution of 3% is the correct concentration to use. Also, my friend tried buying some hydrogen peroxide at the "Only 1 Dollar Store", and he said it tasted terrible and burned his mouth quite a bit. I told him to get his hydrogen peroxide somewhere else, because first of all, the hydrogen peroxide should not taste terrible (it should taste like not much at all, actually), and it shouldn't feel like it's burning you, but it will bubble in your mouth. So I just suggest buying the hydrogen peroxide from a reliable pharmaceutical brand, such as Walgreen's or CVS.
Anyway, I hope someone finds this information helpful. Happy swishing! :-)
That was a couple of years ago, but more recently I had a friend to whom I suggested the same thing. He tried it, and actually didn't dilute the hydrogen peroxide any further, but just swished with the 3% dilution from the bottle. After a few weeks he told me that he was really happy because his gums had stopped bleeding when he brushed his teeth. He said his gums had been bleeding a lot every time he brushed for a number of years, but that it had now completely stopped and they weren't bleeding at all anymore. I was so happy to hear that. I hadn't known he had been having problems with bleeding gums, which is a symptom of the gum disease, gingivitis. But I was very glad that he was able to find (quite by accident), a cure.
I also just recently figured out something else important about using the hydrogen peroxide. I have found that I can't use it very often because it really makes my lips dry and uncomfortable afterwards. I also read online that using hydrogen peroxide all of the time can be bad for your teeth because it is an acid and it can gradually wear down your enamel. On the bottle it says not to use it for more than two weeks at a time. But even this is too much for my mouth to handle.
Also, be careful if you buy hydrogen peroxide to check the concentration level; there are some hydrogen peroxides available which are as much as 35% strength, which would be way too strong to use in your mouth. A dilution of 3% is the correct concentration to use. Also, my friend tried buying some hydrogen peroxide at the "Only 1 Dollar Store", and he said it tasted terrible and burned his mouth quite a bit. I told him to get his hydrogen peroxide somewhere else, because first of all, the hydrogen peroxide should not taste terrible (it should taste like not much at all, actually), and it shouldn't feel like it's burning you, but it will bubble in your mouth. So I just suggest buying the hydrogen peroxide from a reliable pharmaceutical brand, such as Walgreen's or CVS.
Anyway, I hope someone finds this information helpful. Happy swishing! :-)
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