Let’s be honest, we live in an age of perfection. Perfect hair, perfect nails, perfect teeth, perfect everything! Nowadays, it seems that almost all celebrities and influencers have had some kind of work done on their teeth and it looks great! Makes you want to try it yourself. However, these options may not be affordable or available to everyone. I know I could not do these treatments for myself. So, I’ve settled for at-home teeth whitening products. Why yes, I want pearly white teeth too!
Now, does it matter if I’m pregnant or nursing? Which are ok to use, strips, toothpastes and/or blue light therapy? So many options to choose from, right? Before we talk about each of these components, it is important to point out that every pregnancy starts with a small chance (3-5%) of having a baby with a birth defect, we call this the background risk. Now that we’ve defined historical risk, when we talk about any potential increased risk for birth defects, we’re referring to the increased risk over and above that historical risk. Now, let’s break it down and take a look at some of these products and their ingredients.
1. Bleaching strips
Most teeth whitening products contain various ingredients that have not been well studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Without good research it’s hard to know if ingredients can cause a problem for a developing baby or nursing infant. However, when the product is used as directed on the teeth (not swallowed) it is unlikely that a significant amount will enter the pregnant woman’s system or breast milk. Let’s take a closer look at some of these common ingredients:
- Carbamide peroxide breaks down into urea and hydrogen peroxide when it comes into contact with organic compounds in living tissues.
- Urea is a chemical formed from the breakdown of proteins and is often used in lotions to improve hydration. Urea is also found naturally in the body and is also part of breast milk. Since the body can excrete large amounts of urea, exposure to small or moderate amounts of urea is not expected to increase the chance of birth defects or cause adverse effects in the nursing infant.
- Hydrogen peroxide is added to cosmetics and personal care products as an antimicrobial ingredient to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. It also oxidizes the stains on the teeth to whiten them. When it comes into contact with your teeth, the hydrogen peroxide will break down into a molecule of water and oxygen gas. Because of this, it is unlikely to be a significant possibility for birth defects or problems during breastfeeding.
You can also find,
- Sodium hydroxide. This ingredient is commonly found in industrial and home-based products such as soaps. It is tissue toxic and not intended for ingestion or inhalation. When used in dental preparations, they alter the acidity of the mouth to better protect the teeth. There have been no human studies of sodium hydroxide during pregnancy or breast-feeding. However, due to possible maternal alkalosis (increased body pH), cautious use should be advised when a person has kidney problems during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
- Glycerin is colorless, odorless, and a sweet glycerin (sugar alcohol), used as a lubricating agent in many cosmetic products such as toothpaste, shaving cream, and soaps. Glycerin crosses the placenta in small amounts, but there are no human studies looking at glycerin. However, since animal data did not show any increase in birth defects, it is unlikely that glycerin in teeth whitening would put a pregnancy or nursing infant at increased risk for problems.
- Menthol is widely used in a variety of products in the cosmetic world as a fragrance and flavoring agent. There are no human studies on the use of menthol during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, animal data showed no increase in birth defects. Therefore, when used in small amounts, it is unlikely to have an increased chance of birth defects or other problems during pregnancy or while breastfeeding your baby.
- Carbomer is commonly used as thickeners and emulsifiers for pharmaceuticals and many other products. Carbomer is added to teeth whitening strips as a thickener and is usually found in small amounts in some products. Because of the large molecular size of carbomer and the small amount used in these products, it is unlikely to cause problems during pregnancy or enter breast milk in amounts of concern to a nursing baby.
2. Whitening toothpastes
Most of these toothpastes contain:
- Sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP), a sodium salt commonly used to increase the amount of fluoride incorporated into enamel, which can help prevent tooth decay. No research has been done during pregnancy. it is not known if it causes problems for the baby. Sodium monofluorophosphate can cause side effects if swallowed, its use should be closely monitored during pregnancy and while nursing your baby.
- Sodium fluoride is a colorless or white powder that dissolves in liquid. Sodium fluoride is mostly used to prevent cavities, polish teeth and reduce bad breath. Sodium fluoride can be found in drinking water. Ingesting these ingredients in excessive amounts during pregnancy could lead to impaired development of the baby’s teeth. Sodium fluoride passes into breast milk in small amounts and is not expected to cause adverse effects in a nursing infant.
3. Blue (LED) Light Therapy
This treatment is often used to treat acne and sun damage. This treatment will only work in areas where light reaches it and usually needs a combination of photosynthesizing drugs to activate the ingredients and whiten the teeth. This blue (LED) light therapy is used with gels or strips that contain some of the above ingredients. Some may contain ingredients that we have not reviewed above. There is limited research on the use of blue light therapy during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and the risk of birth defects or other pregnancy problems is unknown. However, the light itself is not expected to increase the risk of birth defects or cause adverse effects in a nursing infant.
4. Other Commonly Used Ingredients:
- Herbs are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore, we are never sure what is in the product and there is not enough information to assess the potential risk to a developing baby or nursing infant. For more information on herbs and supplements during pregnancy or breastfeeding, see our newsletter at:
- Alcohol should be completely avoided during pregnancy. It has been established that there is no known amount or type of alcohol that is okay to consume during pregnancy. However, using alcohol teeth whitener is not expected to significantly enter your bloodstream or breast milk since the product is applied topically. Do not swallow or drink any of these products and use according to package directions. If you want, you can choose an alcohol-free product. To read more about alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding, see our newsletter at: .
If you are interested in learning more about other products and their individual ingredients, be sure to contact the experts at MotherToBaby.
And remember, it’s important to feel good about your skin, but if you’re leaning towards whitening your teeth, here are some tips to think about before buying any product.
- Look for alcohol-free products.
- Use the product according to the instructions, do not swallow it and do not exceed the time indicated on the package.
- Contact the experts at MotherToBaby.org with your questions.
