Dentists are warning patients about the potential risks associated with do-it-yourself teeth-whitening trends, according to Health.

A British 18-year-old made a TikTok video showing viewers how she whitens her teeth by applying hydrogen peroxide directly to them with a cotton swab. The post went viral, encouraging many other users to try the method.

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the active whitening agents commonly found in teeth-whitening products, but the bottle seen in the original TikTok contained 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, which is 30 times more than the amount allowed in over-the-counter teeth whitening products in the United Kingdom, where the woman who made the post lives.

"Prolonged bleaching with these high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, especially when used multiple days in a row, can lead to highly irritated gums and sensitive teeth,"  Los Angeles dentist Chris Strandburg, DDS, told Health. "Gum irritation can get severe if more bleaching is done when the gums are already irritated. but significant bleaching can increase tooth sensitivity permanently with long term use."

Health professionals have slammed it as “extremely dangerous” - and it could lead to tooth loss if used in the wrong way.

Dr Krystyna Wilczynski, a cosmetic dental surgeon, told The Sun: “This is extremely worrying that people are willing to put their health at risk for the sake of cosmetics like this.If the [chemical] we use or hydrogen peroxide is inappropriately used in the mouth, it can lead to gum irritation which can in turn lead to gum recession, tooth sensitivity and worst case scenario, tooth loss. As hydrogen peroxide is a chemical, it is also extremely dangerous if you swallow too much.”

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