A growing number of people are now looking for teeth whitening in London, and as the city is one of the leading places in Europe for cosmetic dentistry, the choice and availability is extraordinary. It is now possible to undergo a professional teeth whitening treatment in the time it takes to have lunch, and treatments are surprisingly affordable.

However, it has been recently noted that some people have been opting for their own home treatments for teeth whitening rather than visiting a cosmetic dentist in London. In a few cases results may appear temporarily effective, but sadly those carrying out their own teeth whitening remedies are causing severe damage to their teeth which will necessarily result in them having to visit a cosmetic dentist for treatments much more serious, and expensive, than teeth whitening.

The trouble is that many of these alternatives to taking advantage of professional teeth whitening in London are being posted online. Often these home remedies and whitening treatments are posted by non professionals, and have no backing by cosmetic dentists at all. In fact many of these home treatments will cause far more damage than good, and should be avoided at all costs.

Some people have opted for these home treatments as cost effective alternatives to professional treatment, yet in the long term the expense of having to undergo repair work afterwards is often much more expensive than the original whitening treatment carried out by a professional dentist would have been.

Alarmingly these home treatments include using baking soda, ash, salt, soap and even the bleach, hydrogen peroxide. Some of these treatments are based on misunderstandings and misconceptions. For example, baking soda is sometimes used as an ingredient in toothpastes - it's an abrasive, and as such works to remove plaque, tartar and food from teeth. But using pure baking soda, or even using a mixture which includes too high a proportion of baking soda, can cause very serious damage to teeth, including removing the enamel from the teeth themselves.

Teeth are quite delicate, and almost the only real protection they have is an incredibly thin layer of enamel - less than the thickness of your nail. Baking soda can easily wear this away, just as you could damage the enamel on your sink or bath by trying to clean it with sandpaper. Once the enamel is worn away, even very slightly, two things occur.

Firstly your teeth become exposed to all sorts of damage from food and drink, and with no protection they can quickly become broken, painful and in need of cosmetic treatment. The second problem is that it is the enamel which gives teeth their whiteness. By damaging or removing the enamel there is simply no way that teeth can ever be white, and the exposed part of the tooth underneath the enamel is a yellowish brown colour. So by using abrasive substances such as baking soda, teeth become darker, and very severely damaged.

Hydrogen peroxide, the bleach often used to lighten the colour of hair, will also strip away the enamel and protective coatings from teeth, as well as causing very serious damage to the gums, which can result in gum disease.

For those who simply can't afford to take advantage of the professional teeth whitening London dentists can offer, there are 'deep clean' toothbrushes and teeth whitening treatments available from pharmacists, although obviously these are very much less effective than treatments offered by a cosmetic dentist. For a truly white look, giving you a healthy and bright smile you can be proud of, there is simply no alternative to visiting a professional dentist for teeth whitening in London.