DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME
OK, so against 90% of the advice found on the net, I decided to try using Clorox to whiten my teeth last night.
My teeth obtained a yellow tint, I suspect, about 10 yrs ago, when I had an ear infection, and told the MD that I recall being allergic to penicillin - so he gave me tetracycline instead. Little did I know, a side effect of tetra is it will yellow your teeth (I suspect from the inside). It did. Note: same doctor did advise me that most who were allergic to pen will outgrow that as an adult - but he did not warn me about that perm yellowing of teeth as a known side effect of tetra.
Dental cleanings, lots of off the shelf remedies, no luck. Other than that, teeth were movie star quality in form and shape. However, even after cleanings and daily floss, I always had an unpleasant odor when I forced air thru the very minor natural gap between the teeth.
I read on the net, that gargling with hydrogen peroxide would help, so I did this for several years. Marginal, at best. Read some more, and found out the max % of hydro perox you can is in an ear drop solution called ERO, much more concentrated than bottled hydro perox. Tried it, marginal results.
So last night, against 99% of the advice on the net, I got brave and decide to try Clorox. I based this on several reports of users having good results (that were quickly extinguished by doctors advising against it). Some of the doctors warn that using Clorox will damage soft tissue (gums, taste buds) and poison you if swallowed. Others claimed it would have no whitening effect.
What I did was to buy a pair of clear rubber teeth trays (upper and lower) and coat them with the ERO (high % of hyd perox), that pour Clorox over the ERO, letting the excess run off into sink. Then I installed the trays, and kept them in for 5-10 minutes. I held me head down over the sink, so any foam / runoff went into the sink, and not in my mouth. I immediately gargled after this.
I am telling right now, it worked. In one single application. So yes, Clorox with ERO will bleach your teeth white. And possibly due to my precaution of keeping it in the tray via the ERO (which has the consistency of honey), it did not burn by gums or taste buds, nor poison me. Another benefit - when I force air thru the tiny gaps in my teeth, it smells fresh and clean, even the next day - even after 2 meals.
I suspect I will get blasted here on SDMB for doing this, but weigh this against the fact that for the first time in over a decade,** I feel great about having white teeth again, as well as fresh breath.** My plan is to never try this again, via brushing 3 times a day ( I keep a folding toothbrush with me, that stores in its own case - and stays in my pocket with a days worth of paste in the plastic case) and use hyd perox to gargle with, as well as floss and Crest 3D system.
PS I have tried sweets, sours, and other foods - to verify I didn’t erase my taste buds - all is well. Also, my teeth shine and are very smooth, so it seems no damage to enamel .
So did I just dance with the Devil and win? Everything I read states ingesting or even inhaling Clorox can make you ill, and/ or kill you.
PS if you google it, you will find Clorox made toothpaste 100 yrs ago