Is There Any Good Teeth Whitening Methods That Are Free?

Nothing in this world is really free, right? And it goes for teeth whitening also.
But the closest thing to a free teeth whitening method I have heard of is using already available items we all have at home in the cabinet. One such whitening method uses a mixture of common peroxide, the bottle we use for disinfecting and cleaning skin abrasions or cuts. It can be used as a thickened paste that is applied to the teeth or as a thin liquid much like a mouth wash. We do not recommend this because the use of a bleaching agent that is too strong can cause irritation of the mouth’s soft tissue. And the actual teeth whitening result is not going to be very good. Bottom line is that you cannot keep the mixture on the teeth long enough to whiten them without hurting the rest of the mouth.
There is one inexpensive option that we have heard of that uses a “home-made” tray or mouth piece for the teeth and puts a bleaching mixture in the tray for an extended length of time. These mouth pieces are like a sports mouth guard. You put it in hot water to soften the guard and then place it over the teeth and bite. The “tray” will mold to the teeth before it cools completely. This is an attempt to “copy” the trays made by dentist, only the dentist makes a mold of the mouth first (and charges $200 or more). Usually these home-made trays do not fit very well and cause uneven whitening of the teeth. Caution must also be used in any home-made mixture not to damage or irritate the gums.
Then there is the almost “free” teeth whitening method is the use of whitening tooth paste. These are sold by most brand names and some maybe better than others but only to a small extent. A large percentage of people use them today on a daily basis. But they can and have caused problems for some. If you brush your teeth four or five or even more times a day (and yes there are people who do) you can hurt the enamel of your teeth. The whitening paste is abrasive and will gradually wear down the outer hard shell, or enamel, of the teeth. The amount of abrasion can also be increased by hard brushing, or bearing down with the tooth brush harder than is really necessary for good cleaning.
The best advice is to see your dentist on a regular basis, have your teeth cleaned by a dental hygienist, and consult your dentist about any home or free teeth whitening you might want to try.