Alternatives to Traditional Teeth-Whitening
Alex Brown

It’s no secret that we all want brilliant white teeth and a dazzling smile. 


“I really wish my teeth looked dull and yellow,” said nobody, ever.  It’s no secret that we all want brilliant white teeth and a dazzling smile. Is teeth whitening the answer?

The personal care industry has answered this demand with a steady supply of products they claim will whiten your smile overnight. You can walk into any drugstore and buy a peroxide whitening kit for $20. Problem solved, right?

Wrong. 

Traditional teeth whitening products can be bad news for your teeth, gums, and entire mouth. If you want to avoid the harsh ingredients and painful side effects associated with peroxide whitening kits, it’s time to explore natural alternatives. 

Believe it or not, you can have the best of both worlds: You can brighten your smile and improve your oral health. Why should you be forced to choose just one?!

Why Is Teeth Whitening So Popular?

We live in a digital age. Our pictures are splashed all over Instagram and Facebook, and we’re never more than one click away from flawless photos of celebrities with perfect smiles. So it makes sense that teeth whitening has become more popular than ever before. 

We spend $3.2 billion on teeth whitening products globally, a figure that’s expected to increase. This surge in popularity makes sense! A bright, white smile improves your first impression, helps you look younger, and creates a deeper sense of confidence and self-worth. 

Teeth whitening is a wonderful goal, but whitening strips, gels, and trays people use to reach that goal are deeply flawed. 

3 Real Dangers of Traditional Whitening Products

Traditional whitening products can deliver results, but at what cost? You shouldn’t have to sacrifice the health and comfort of your mouth just to remove unsightly stains. Make sure you understand the dangers posed by peroxide whitening products before you begin your next treatment. 

Abrasive Teeth Whitening Bleaching Chemicals

The most common store-bought whitening systems use carbamide peroxide as the active ingredient. Carbamide peroxide breaks down into the bleaching agent hydrogen peroxide. As soon as hydrogen peroxide encounters the surface of your tooth, it passes through the enamel and breaks down the stain molecules responsible for visible discoloration. This sounds great, but it’s a double-edged sword. 

Tooth enamel creates a protective barrier around your teeth. It’s meant to protect the more vulnerable underlying layers of your teeth like the dentin, nerves, and pulp. When peroxide penetrates the enamel barrier to target stains, it compromises enamel structure and integrity. 

Research indicates that potent or ongoing hydrogen peroxide whitening treatment can cause extensive damage to the teeth with:

  • Increased porosity of surface enamel
  • Loss of minerals from teeth, leading to rough and brittle enamel
  • Destruction of balance oral biome
  • Gum irritation

Somehow, despite so many known dangers, the ADA still considers this a safe way to brighten teeth. The European Union and Canada’s governmental bodies are a bit wiser — they both classify hydrogen peroxide as a toxic substance when used in the mouth. 

Chronic Sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity is the most common and painful side effect of traditional tooth whitening. Research shows that high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, up to 35%, create a higher risk and intensity of tooth sensitivity after whitening. 

Unfortunately, most professional whitening procedures offered by dentists use 35% peroxide concentration. This high concentration is used to deliver the most dramatic whitening results, but it comes at the steep cost of painful shocks of sensitivity. 

We’ve all experienced general sensitivity “zings” when eating something too hot or cold, but sensitivity as a result of tooth whitening is more intense. It doesn’t just occur when you bite into an ice cream cone or sip tea. The unbearable “zings” can occur with something as simple as a cool breeze blowing across your open mouth or a fork prong hitting your tooth when you eat a salad. 

A quick Google search for “tooth whitening sensitivity” will show you that this problem is widespread, yet we keep trusting traditional whitening strips and accepting painful sensitivity as an unavoidable cost of beauty. 

5 Best Natural Alternatives for Teeth Whitening

Don’t worry — you’re not trapped with brown and stained teeth for the rest of your life! These five natural alternatives can whiten your teeth safely and effectively. Not only that, these natural strategies can actively improve the health of your mouth, something that peroxide products can never claim to accomplish. 

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a common ingredient in natural toothpaste, but you can use plain old baking soda once a week to scrub away surface stains on your teeth. It also helps that baking soda contributes to a more alkaline oral environment, which reduces the formation of plaque and bacteria in your mouth. 

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is an impressive multi-purpose natural ingredient that lends itself perfectly to teeth whitening. Since activated charcoal absorbs the plaque and bacteria on your teeth known to cause discoloration, it creates a gentle whitening action that brightens your teeth without bleaching them. 

Apple Cider Vinegar

Stubborn stains are the toughest to get rid of, but they’re no match for powerful and natural apple cider vinegar. Combine a teaspoon of ACV with a ½ cup of water. Swish for 30 seconds, spit and rinse. Just be sure to avoid overusing this natural remedy because ACV is highly acidic and can erode enamel if misused. 

Oil Pulling

This traditional Indian folk remedy has surged in popularity recently thanks to its holistic health benefits. Oil pulling naturally improves oral hygiene, removes toxins from the mouth, and helps your teeth look a few shades whiter. 

It’s simple to add oil pulling to your routine. Start by placing a spoonful of coconut oil, sunflower oil, or another natural oil into your mouth. Swish for 20 minutes while you watch your favorite Netflix show or fold laundry. Once time is up, spit the oil into the trash and rinse your mouth. The nasty toxins, bacteria, and debris in your mouth will be pulled out by the oil, leaving your teeth and gums healthier and brighter.  

LED Teeth Whitening

For whiter teeth without bleach, tooth damage, or sensitivity, try a natural LED light whitening kit. LED teeth whitening takes a different approach to whitening because it doesn’t penetrate enamel or compromise your tooth structure to reach unwanted stains.  Instead, LED whitening combines the power of a natural gel with therapeutic blue and red light to safely and naturally brighten your smile.

LED light acts as a catalyst to the whitening process and accelerates the results of any natural whitening agent you apply to your teeth. Thanks to the power and efficiency of LED lights, you only need 10 to 20 minutes a day to see dramatic results. 

Everything You Need to Know About the LED Teeth Whitener

Not all LED whitening systems are the same. Some recommend the use of basic hydrogen peroxide whitening gels with LED light application, which only exacerbates the problem! 

The Primal Life Organics LED Teeth Whitener is completely different from other systems. It doesn’t just whiten your teeth or take shortcuts with peroxide gels. It combines the power of a natural activated charcoal gel and LED light therapy to boost and enhance your overall oral health while safely whitening your teeth. 

How Does the Primal Life Organics LED Whitening Kit Work?

We designed the Primal Life Organics LED teeth whitening kit to be simple, safe, and affordable. All you need to do is connect your LED whitener to your smartphone or USB port, apply the natural whitening gel into your flexible mouthpiece, and insert into your mouth.  

While you scroll through Facebook or wash the dishes, this LED whitening system is hard at work removing tooth discoloration and nurturing a healthier oral environment as the:

  • Red LED light accelerates the healing of gum tissue by increasing blood flow and decreasing inflammation in tissues
  • Blue LED light kills the bad bacteria that cause gingivitis, which keeps your mouth and gums healthier and stronger
  • Peroxide-free activated charcoal gel remineralizes enamel, detoxifies gum tissue, absorbs plaque and toxins, and removes stains from your teeth

You only need to use the LED system for 15-20 minutes a day, three to four times per week to experience impressive results you see and feel. 

What Ingredients Are in the LED Teeth Whitening Gel?

Real White Teeth Whitening Gel is a natural, oil-based product that’s free of emulsifiers and other common additives and preservatives. Instead of harsh ingredients known to weaken your teeth, the ingredients in the PLO whitening gel improves your oral health!

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil creates a strong base for this whitening gel and nourishes and protects gum tissue. 
  • Bentonite Clay is a healing clay that’s rich in minerals like silica, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, and potassium. It nourishes tooth enamel with the minerals it has lost over time, while gently scrubbing and polishing your teeth to remove stains. 
  • Essential Oils like peppermint, tea tree, wintergreen, cinnamon, Roman chamomile, and lavender help this natural whitening gel smell and taste incredible. Every essential oil offers powerful antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties to revitalize and restore your oral health. 
  • Activated Charcoal quickly absorbs plaque and other unwanted compounds that stain your teeth. By binding to the toxins and pulling them out of your mouth, activated charcoal leaves your teeth much brighter and whiter than before. 

This mineral-infused gel is unlike anything else you’ll find at the drugstore because it supports, enriches, and optimizes your overall oral health.

Will the LED System Make My Teeth Sensitive?

No, absolutely not! That is one of the core defining differences between peroxide-based whitening products and this LED whitening system. The mineral and oil-based ingredients are gentle on your delicate gum tissue and teeth. There is no “stinging” of your gums or “icing” of your teeth like you might experience with peroxide gels. Instead, the PLO whitening system removes stains naturally, without making your enamel vulnerable in the process. 

Is LED Teeth Whitening Safe?

Not only is it safe, but the Primal Life Organics LED teeth whitening system actively improves your oral health. The combination of the whitening gel and LED lights safely and removes stains from coffee, tea, red wine, berries, smoking, and other foods that cause discoloration of the teeth. You don’t need to worry about harsh chemicals or unpleasant side effects with this system. 

How Long Does it Take to See Results?

Your best personal treatment plan depends on the condition of your teeth, but I recommend 20 treatments of 15-20 minutes within a four-week timeframe to achieve maximum results. If your teeth are heavily stained and require more aggressive action, you can use your LED whitening device up to 30 minutes per day, five days per week. Over time, it’s okay to decrease the frequency of weekly sessions to maintain your results. 

Since this system is designed to improve your oral health while whitening your teeth, you can expect to feel positive changes immediately. You’ll notice your entire mouth feels healthier and stronger as your gum tissues, enamel, and teeth are nourished with minerals and natural oils. 

Can This System Be Used For Pregnant Women?

I challenge you to read the warning labels in the fine print of any traditional whitening product.  Even a Business Insider article outlining the best whitening products included this disclaimer: “Peroxide is effective, but it comes with several warnings. Pregnant or nursing women should not use peroxide-based whitening products.”

Well, the PLO whitening system is entirely different. Not only can pregnant women use our LED whitening system safely, they can embrace it as an essential component to strong oral health and wellness during pregnancy and after childbirth. 

As your baby grows and develops in your womb, she relies on you for everything she needs. This includes minerals for her teeth and bones. If you don’t replenish your own supply of minerals during this process, you’ll end up with brittle and sensitive teeth. 

The Primal Life Organics LED teeth whitening system is one of the few ways that pregnancy and postpartum women can replace minerals directly into the saliva instead of into the bloodstream. The red LED light also supports oral health during pregnancy by increasing blood flow to the gums, accelerating gum tissue healing, and improving cell turnover for regeneration. 

The added bonus of whiter teeth doesn’t hurt either!

Beauty Doesn’t Have to Equal Pain

“Beauty is pain!” We’ve all heard that phrase, but why should we accept it? By choosing a natural teeth whitening system that supports your oral health instead of compromising it, you can achieve a brilliant white smile without the complications. 

Guest post By Trina Felber