Thursday, June 18, 2009

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap - Cheap Teeth Whitening


I'm kind of on a non-food recipe kick lately and this one plays directly on my vanity.

I hate having yellow teeth. Even the slightest hint just grosses me out. I used to use Crest Whitestrips but they are seriously expensive so I've been brushing every few weeks with baking soda because that's all the info I could find on cheap ways to whiten teeth. And I can't say that I noticed ANY difference.

But I came across this article HERE and it talks about using the combo of peroxide and baking soda. I know it works in my laundry but is it safe for my mouth?

And the answer is yes. It's in most teeth whitening toothpastes, mouthwash's and whitening kits already. The key is to brush and spit....don't swallow and to NOT use it every day. Most info I find recommends using it once a week to once a month. Check with your dentist or do some research on your own if you need more details on that part of it.

So....here's the recipe.

1 tsp baking soda
1 cap full of hydrogen peroxide (the kind you get in the first aid section)

Stir together and wet your toothbrush with the solution. Brush as you normally would. It doesn't taste good so I just brush my front teeth with it and avoid getting it on my tongue. Then I follow up with a minty brushing and my mouth tastes and looks better.

And how does it work?

Seriously noticed the difference after just one use plus it's so cheap!

If you'd like to share a recipe please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge from the body of your post.



23 comments:

Unknown said...

I've actually thought about doing this (I use a peroxide and baking soda toothpaste) but didn't know it was safe straight up. Good info to have!

flowerpower said...

Carekate posted this recipe in the Esential Day spa forum and evryone loved using it.

Though not technically a recipe, I thought it would be helpful to add the other clever, "alternative product solutions" we have discovered so that all of this info is grouped together in one place....

TOOTHWHITENING: Here is a cheap, yet super-effective alternative to "GoSmile," "Crest White Stripes" and other similar home tooth-whitening products:

WHAT IT IS:
Auro Ear (Wax Removal) Drops and/or GlyOxide oral hygiene product. Both of these products contain carbamide peroxide, the same active ingredient in both GoSmile and Crest White Strips which help whiten your teeth. The Auro Ear Drops contain a 6.5% percentage of carbamide peroxide (same strength as GoSmile), while GlyOxide contains a 10% percentage (just slightly less than the percentage contained in Crest White Strips). If you have ever used those Crest White Strips, you'll find that this technique is much more convenient than having to sit around with those strips on your teeth for an hour per day. Even if you have had your teeth professionally whitened by the dentist, you can use either the ear drops or Gly Oxide every day, once per day, to maintain your results.

HOW TO USE IT:
Brush teeth with desired toothpaste as normal, then spit and rinse your mouth and/or toothbrush. Squeeze 4-5 drops of either Auro ear drops of Gly Oxide onto toothbrush and brush teeth just like you would with toothpaste, concentrating on your "smile" teeth (the ones in your mouth that appear when you smile). Hold the mixture in your mouth for 1 1/2-2 minutes or as long as you can stand (don't worry, it doesn't taste bad!).

WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
There are several different brands of ear wax removal drops, including Auro and Murine. You will find these products in the eye/ear care section (with the Visine eye drops and contact lens solution items) at your local pharmacy or supermarket. Look for "Ear Wax Removal" drops and check the label for the active ingredient "6.5% Carbamide Peroxide" (note: you do NOT want to buy "Swimmer's Ear" products as they are most definitely not the same thing!). Gly Oxide will be located in the oral hygiene aisle of your supermarket or pharmacy, along with the toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash items.

WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL WORK:
Click on these links to read "testimonials" and other helpful info from other forum members who have tried these products and experienced whiter, brighter teeth: http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=4513&highlight=auro+ear+drops , http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=6026&highlight=auro and http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=5662&highlight=auro

Heather @ JustDoingMyBest said...

With those two ingredients, I bet this works well! I will have to give the homemade paste a try.

Megan said...

Hey Gayle, I tried your brownie recipe last week and I loved it! It really is as easy as boxed and just as good.. or better!

Hope you don't mind me posting it on my site and passing the great recipe along to more readers!

Have a great weekend
Megan
http://dailyessentialsanddeals.blogspot.com/2009/06/simple-homemade-brownie-recipe.html

Hoosier Homemade said...

Wow, you always have such great ideas! Thanks for hosting!
BTW-used your homemade oxyclean right away this week and it works awesome! Thanks!
~Liz

Anonymous said...

Awesome! I'm trying this today! :)

Southern Gal said...

As a former certified dental assistant, I can vouch for the hydrogen peroxide/baking soda combo. AND dentists prescribe it for periodontal patients because it's great for your gums! Can't beat that.

Precision Quality Laser said...

Another frugal teeth whitening recipe is a little bit of baking soda, rub it on your teeth,then take half a lemon and rub it over your teeth as well. It froths and foams and really works..possibly tastes a tad better than peroxide too :)

Bonus, you can teach your kids a little at home chemistry lesson!

StrusaD said...

BAD IDEA!!!! I just did this and it turned my gums bright white!!! I have a date tonight and look horrible!!! Just a warning for anyone else thinking of trying this!

StrusaD said...

Update! After brushing with regular toothpaste a few times most of the white gums have started to turn back to normal, they look a bit irritated and sore, but I'm sure they will be fine after a bit. It may be best to test this on a small area of your mouth first to make sure you mouth isn't too sensitive and mine turned out too be.

Anonymous said...

I use the peroxide/baking soda combo and a dentist once told me that I had the cleanest teeth he had ever seen.

Katie said...

I had the same experience as StrusaD!! My gums turned bright white and got really irritated. Maybe I brushed too vigorously?? I don't know, but my husband got a good laugh out of it. He's now repeatedly laughing and telling me not to believe everything I read on the internet:) He read the label on the peroxide, which says "for external use only. Keep away from mucous membranes."

Anonymous said...

my mother was told to do this by her medical doc and dentist only to fight what we now call gum diease...let me think ..about 40 yrs ago.They told her an infection in your mouth infects your entire body.She brushes with baking soda daily and uses the peroxide twice a week.

Unknown said...

I'm going to have to try this. I already brush daily with a mix of lime zest, baking soda and peppermint essential oil. This mix tastes fine, and has done wonders to keep coffee stains off of my teeth. I will give the peroxide a try for an extra whitening boost!

Emily said...

These are some interesting ideas, I'm anxious to go home and try them! I've actually been using Crest whitestrips and I love them, they've been doing great things for my teeth! Even though I am happy with those results, I'll give these a try for fun, thanks!

Unknown said...

oops! So Sorry! I posted my grocery trip on the recipe post by accident! Not sure how to delete it!

Teeth Fanatic said...

I just read a person's comment on the ThriftyFun site where she claimed her 96 year-old grandmother uses her first urine of the morning mixed with baking soda to keep her teeth white and breath fresh. Suppossedly, her grammy has all her original teeth. I am personally not brave enough to try that remedy. Anyway, I've also heard you have to be careful with not applying the lemon juice solution too liberally or it can erode your tooth enamel.

Thanks

Blane

http://www.betterteethwhitening.com

Katty said...

Thank you for terrific post and great complementing comments!

How to whiten teeth said...

Nice article! I have tried hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda as well. I really like it as it is cheap and easy. And I try not to overuse peroxide as it can damage the enamel of the teeth.

Teeth Whitening Allentown said...

Good Information....

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