Do you know if it's harmful to use hydrogen peroxide in your mouth full strength like?

Question

like dabbing it on cold sores with a Q-tip. It says on the label that you could use it as a mouth rinse diluted half with water. And, a friend says she puts it on her teeth before bed time. And, her dentists says it's okay to do. Do you know how much you have to swallow for it to be harmful?

Answer 1

Dabbing it full strength is fine, but if you gargle with hydrogen peroxide full strength, eventually it will begin to harm the sensitive skin lining your mouth. Peroxide does a great job at killing bacterial cells, but it can start to kill our cells as well, if not diluted. Gargling with 50/50 strength is fine. You can swallow your saliva after just dabbing a sore or your teeth. Just don't swallow any actual liquid containing peroxide.

Good luck and God Bless!

Answer 2

I wouldn't recommend it; the stuff you get from the store is usually 1.5% peroxide, which is strong enough to do the job without being terribly dangerous. If you get anything stronger, however, it will chemically burn your mouth -- turn your gums white for a while, and it'll hurt like crazy for a minute or two. If you were to swallow it, I suspect you'd get fairly sick -- it reacts to release pure oxygen bubbles, which is actually toxic in large amounts. That's why it's a disinfectant for cuts and scrapes -- the oxygen bubbles kill most bacteria on contact, because there's just too much for the bacteria to handle. However, it'll do the same thing to your cells, so a high enough concentration (or a large enough volume) can damage the lining of your stomach and cause burns all the way down your esophagus. DO NOT SWALLOW if you plan on rinsing your mouth with peroxide, and follow the instructions for this use -- dilute, dilute, dilute!

Answer 3

I always rinse with plain water after I use it in my mouth. The stuff it pretty potent. I use it full strength on my teeth sometimes too, it used to be available everywhere as a cheap gel until companies figured they could make a lot more money off it as a teeth whitener.
When I use it in my mouth I leave my mouth open and wait for it to stop bubbling and then rinse with water. I don't think you should swallow any of it if you can help it, and a simple rinse with straight water seems like it should be enough. JMO

Answer 4

I certainly would not drink it but I use it all the time instead of water to wet my tooth brush.
I've used it for many years in this way as well as putting it directly between the teeth to help keep them clean. I've always used it full strength in the mouth.

Food grade hydrogen peroxide is a totally different matter.

The peroxide you buy off the pharmacy shelf is only 3% and is very mild. Food grade hydrogen peroxide is 35% and will easily burn the skin. You need to be very careful with it.

Answer 5

Im 50 and Ive been using full strength all my life for mouth sores. It doesn't harm you but just recommended. I never swallowed it.

Answer 6

It is not only harmful it is very dangerous. Full Strength Hydrogen Peroxide can produce so much foam your airways may be blocked and you could suffocate. Find something else to do the job you want to do not risk injuring yourself.

Answer 7

The stuff you get from the drugstore is dangerous if you swallow it. There is food grade hydrogen peroxide, however I have been told that it is a prescription only item.

Answer 8

If you drink the stuff yeah, you win the Darwin Award. The reason they have you dilute it is because it bubbles...foams....alot. It's save to use as a rinse and a topical.

Answer 9

Use it to gargle not swallow that it's as a mouth rinse.

Answer 10

My husband read online that its a good remedy for canker sores and he used it, but dont swallow it.