Is It Safe To Whiten Your Teeth While Breastfeeding? (At-Home Or In-Office Examples)

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For breastfeeding women, it’s recommended that they abstain from teeth whitening procedures containing harmful chemicals. Instead, eating certain fruits and vegetables proves to be the safest teeth whitening technique for breastfeeding women.

Teeth play a significant role in how we smile, laugh, or even feel free when communicating. Often, our teeth may not be as white as we would want.

Your teeth may have a black, yellow, or brown color stain, and you feel the urge to make them appear white.

According to most dentists, having sparkling white teeth may make you appear up to five years younger. You may choose to do natural teeth whitening techniques at home or for specialized teeth whitening tools and procedures at a dental care facility.

Whichever way you choose, you deserve that white teeth smile and feel confident with your teeth. The whiteners use the dramatic active bleaching technique to help remove the teeth stains that may be causing you trouble.

This article looks at various teeth whitening procedures and whether they pose any danger during breastfeeding.

You might be considering getting your teeth cleaned and whitened, but fear for your breastfeeding child. Will it cause any harm? To find out, keep reading this article.

Examples of at-home or in-office teeth whitening techniques

DIY at-home techniques

While at home, you may follow through with certain methods and procedures and get your teeth white.

These methods need patience and a prolonged duration to achieve your desired results. Some of the products you may use at home to help whiten your teeth include:

1. Using the oil pulling method

A woman who's breastfeeding is using coconut oil to do natural oil pulling for whiter teeth

Did you know that pulling and pushing oil through your teeth and mouth every day may help whiten your teeth?

Bacteria from food contribute to yellow-looking teeth after a prolonged period. So using oil to push and pull through your teeth proves a safe procedure.

It originated in India, and most Indians use this traditional teeth whitening procedure to date. After the process, you spit off the oil and rinse your mouth. Coconut oil proves a perfect oil product for this procedure.

It helps keep off certain teeth ailments like gingivitis.

Although there is no scientific proof that oil whitens teeth, I find it worth trying since it comes affordable and safe.

2. The baking soda technique

Baking powder contains whitening properties, which make it an ingredient in toothpaste. You might use baking soda at home to brush your teeth and let it whiten up your teeth.

It also helps scrub away some teeth stains due to its abrasive nature.

The alkaline properties of baking soda help prevent bacterium growth which contributes to most yellow stains on teeth. However, this procedure works slowly, and you may start noticing some changes after several attempts.

3. Eating high fruit and vegetable diet

Fruits and vegetables have proved essential in the normal functioning of our bodies.

A woman is making a smoothie out of fruits and veggies

On top of boosting our immunity and helping in digestion, it now seems that vegetables and fruits contribute to our teeth whitening.

As you chew through the fruits and vegetables, they help in the mechanical scrubbing of our teeth which helps prevent teeth staining. Eating strawberries, pineapples, and leafy vegetables that get eaten raw help keep your teeth whiter.

4. Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide at home proves to be another teeth whitening remedy. It exists as a natural bleach that helps kill bacteria in the mouth. In addition, commercial toothpaste contains peroxide, which helps whiten teeth.

However, at home, you may use a little hydrogen peroxide on your toothbrush every day and brush the affected colored teeth.

Hydrogen peroxide also gets served as at-home whitening gels or pens. You may buy these for convenience use. Several attempts to do so will give you whiter teeth and a bacteria-free mouth environment.

In-office teeth whitening procedures

Hydrogen peroxide

Unlike home-based techniques, professional teeth whitening happens at the dentist. Therefore, it uses a higher concentration of whitening products for a short period.

Depending on the nature of your teeth stains, the dentist might use hydrogen peroxide in higher concentrations of up to 40 %.

The peroxide stays on the teeth for about an hour before rinsing it off. You may visit the dentist severally to get your teeth white.

Is crest teeth whitening safe while breastfeeding?

Another way to have your teeth white will be by professional crest teeth whitening strips. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, you should keep off products containing Carbamide peroxide.

Since crest whitening strips may contain Carbamide peroxide, you should avoid this teeth whitening technique during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Can I use charcoal teeth whitening while breastfeeding?

Activated charcoal lies in the nontoxic ways category of whitening our teeth. You may use naturally occurring charcoal, essential oils, or coconut oil to whiten your teeth at home.

Activated charcoal products in processed form may not be safe during breastfeeding or pregnancy. In addition, some activated charcoal products may contain sorbitol which may pose a threat to pregnant or breastfeeding women.

This fact makes it dangerous for breastfeeding and pregnant women. If you need to use charcoal, you may go for natural charcoal products with zero traces of toxins.

FAQs

Why can’t I use teeth whitening while breastfeeding?

Teeth whitening products containing sorbitol or Carbamide peroxide may affect breast milk if you perform the teeth whitening procedure. You may pose a danger to your breastfeeding child hence should be avoided.

However, you may embrace natural whitening techniques with lower chances of harming your child. For instance, you may eat many fruits like pineapples and strawberries and practice oil pulling regularly.

Is teeth whitening gel safe during pregnancy?

Bleaching material may pose some threats to pregnant women.

The American Dental Association (ADA) calls for caution on the use of teeth whitening procedures in pregnant women. Instead, they offer safer tips to take care of teeth during pregnancy.

Does black charcoal whiten teeth?

Yes, black charcoal uses an abrasion technique to remove stains from your teeth. However, the abrasive nature of activated charcoal may cause more harm to your teeth’ enamel.

Conclusion

Teeth whitening procedures may be chemical or natural based. You may perform teeth whitening at home using natural techniques or low chemical concentration products.

The DIY home techniques include using hydrogen peroxide gels or pens, baking soda, eating fruits, and using the oil pulling procedure.

For professional in-office procedures, you may get crest teeth whitening and higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxides.

Breastfeeding and pregnant women should avoid teeth whitening procedures with harmful substances like sorbitol or Carbamide peroxide.

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Nudrat Naheed
Hi, I am Nudrat, The Heart And Brain author, IR student, and painter. Writing about health fascinates me because it helps me to explore a new healthy routine and share it with others. I write primarily about general health, pregnancy, postpartum, and allergies here. If you don't find me writing, I'm busy painting or reading on global politics.

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