The dark side of white teeth: DIY whiteners can be dangerously addictive. By. Anna Maxted. Updated. GMT, 1. 7 March 2. When my five- year- old son suddenly exclaimed: ‘Why are your teeth so dirty, Mummy?’, I knew it was time to do something. Years of drinking coffee and red wine had left my teeth stained and grey.

It had bothered me — I’d started wearing only dark tops (white made my teeth look lemon- yellow) and grimacing at friends through closed lips. But the ‘dirty teeth’ comment was the final straw. That day, I made an appointment at a smart dental practice to have my teeth professionally whitened. Desperate for a perfect smile? Learn about the potential side- effect first. It set me off on a five- year habit that was not only bad for my teeth, but possibly for my health.

Initially, I was hoping for a smile to rival Tom Cruise’s — and for close on £1,0. I think I had a right to optimism. The dentist showed me a chart of 2.

Ninety per cent of the population’s gnashers are classed as A3 — a rather dirty yellow — but mine were several shades darker, B3. I learnt that teeth darken and discolour for a number of reasons, including age (as the collagen in our teeth degrades), or taking antibiotics such as tetracycline in childhood. First, the dentist applied a peroxide gel to custom- moulded gum shields and placed them over my teeth. Then my teeth were bathed in blue light using a high- tech ‘torch’ for 4. It stung and I felt vain and foolish. Yet I returned two weeks later to have the process repeated. Still, when I assessed the results, my teeth had brightened by only a couple of shades.

I’d wasted my time and money. So it was a thrill to discover you can buy do- it- yourself teeth- whitening kits over the counter or online for £1. And the kits worked. Forget the Spandex pants — if you want to look better instantly, whiten your teeth, you look younger and healthier, even if you aren’t!

I became obsessive, building up a stash of products. One of the first I bought required you to squeeze whitening gel into a gum shield and wear it for 2. Then a friend who lives in Los Angeles introduced me to a product which promised whiter teeth in five minutes.

You peeled a gel- infused strip out of its packet and stuck it on your teeth. Moments later, your smile would practically glow fluorescent. The faster the effects, the better, as far as I was concerned. I was hooked. If I was invited to dinner, I’d sneak upstairs minutes before we left our house.

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There I’d sit quietly for five minutes bleaching my teeth with a gel- infused strip. What have you got there?’ my husband would call. Nothing!’ I’d reply. If I was collecting the kids from school and felt rather flat at the prospect of meeting hordes of elegant young mummies, I’d think: ‘Ooh, I’ll just do a quick whiten!’Days after whitening, my teeth would look dull and I’d open another strip. Certain products irritated my gums, but I chose not to investigate.

If I acknowledged the suspicion I might be damaging my teeth or gums, I’d have to stop. Watch Dead Before Dawn 3D HDQ. I couldn’t. In fact, the reason these products were so effective was because they were damaging my teeth.

As dentist Martin Fallowfield, a spokesman from the British Dental Association, says: ‘Some DIY teeth kits, especially those available on the internet or from salons, contain the same acid that is used to disinfect swimming pools — chlorine dioxide. This won’t necessarily be listed on the label, but it’s a horrible ingredient; these kits are terribly dangerous to teeth — they get the whitening effect by etching the surface of the tooth.’This effectively destroys the protective enamel, making teeth very sensitive. And in many cases they changes are permanent — in extreme cases they can lead to the loss of the teeth,’ he says. The acid can cause chemical burns on the gums, further increasing the risk of losing teeth. Ironically, after all this, your teeth will also become even more discoloured — that’s because once the protective enamel has been damaged, the teeth are left exposed to the elements. They become stained easily by food and drink and turn brown.‘People have no idea what ingredients are in these home kits — and what they could be doing to their teeth,’ says Mr Fallowfield. Unfortunately, I’m far from the only teeth- whitening addict out there.

Last year, Britons spent £7. And while many people have their teeth professionally whitened by a dentist, others can’t afford it and instead opt for treatment in a beauty salon, or resort to DIY treatments. Most DIY products use hydrogen peroxide — this works by penetrating the porous enamel and oxidising stains (the oxygen produced by the process reacts with the discoloured material on the teeth and chemically changes it). If the bleach- containing mouth guards don’t fit properly, the gel may come into extended contact with your gums. So, if the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is too strong, it can burn the soft tissue or even cause irreversible gum recession, exposing the root of the tooth and causing sensitivity. If you ingest a significant amount of the hydrogen peroxide gel, it can also burn the throat, stomach and gut. While many products contain hydrogen peroxide, others, such as toothpastes, use abrasive ingredients such as sand to polish off the stains.

In some ways, these seem less risky — the ‘only’ problem is that if a product is too abrasive, enamel may be removed. So no chemical burns or gum recession then.

Just damaged teeth. Ninety per cent of the population’s gnashers are. Watch American Graffiti Dailymotion.

A3 — a rather dirty yellow — but mine were several shades. B3. Learning all this, I decided to re- check the ingredients on my kits, most of them sensibly purchased from Tesco and Boots. Hydrogen peroxide was common, but all the chemicals were, allegedly, ‘enamel safe’. How could that be?

The legal percentage of hydrogen peroxide permitted in these kits is 0. The problem for consumers is that such a weak percentage won’t whiten properly, says Dr Linda Greenwall, author of Bleaching Techniques In Restorative Dentistry, and a lecturer worldwide in restorative dentistry. In other words, many of the products we are buying will not make our teeth permanently whiter, and are abrasive enough to cause harm if we use them year after year. Meanwhile, in one of my kits (bought in the U. S. but available here online), the hydrogen peroxide concentration is just over five per cent — and yes, it was the gel- infused strips I so loved. Not only was I using a lot, but hydrogen peroxide penetrates the teeth swiftly, can be tough on your teeth, and the bleaching doesn’t last that long.

So you use it again, and again. But what about products that say they don’t contain any hydrogen peroxide? Don’t be fooled, says Andrew Eder, professor of restorative dentistry and dental education at UCL Eastman Dental Institute. In at least one kit the ingredients contain chemicals such as carbamide peroxide that react with saliva to produce hydrogen peroxide. But if DIY is a worry, what about High Street salons offering teeth whitening as a cosmetic treatment performed by a beautician? In the past three years alone, the General Dental Council (GDC) has received more than 6.

The organisation classifies tooth whitening as dentistry, and so says it is illegal for anyone not registered with the GDC to perform the procedure. The organisation launches criminal proceedings in the High Court tomorrow against three individuals and two companies offering teeth whitening.

Dance Moms' Jo. Jo Siwa reveals the dark side of fame Eamonn Holmes asked a This Morning guest whether they had consumed a lot of 'sugary drinks' following their 'energetic' appearance on the show. Jo. Jo Siwa, 1. 4 who first found fame on US show Dance Moms alongside her mother Jessalyn, bounded into the This Morning studio to talk about her career and as well as being cyber bullied. But the interview was so fast- paced it lead him to ask: 'On telly you've got all this great energy and you sing and you dance, just energy, energy, energy and there's a lot of happiness and positivity there. Eamonn Holmes questioned This Morning guest Jo. Jo Siwa whether she had drunk a 'lot of fizzy drinks' during her energetic appearance on the show Jo. Jo Siwa is a huge online sensation after first finding fame on US reality programme Dance Moms alongside her own mother Jessalyn'Where do you get all that energy from - do you drink a lot of sugary drinks?'The youngster, who has two You. Tube channels with over three million followers and 6.

Instagram account with six million followers and a regular stint on Nickelodeon, laughed in response.'I don’t. People call me energy in a bottle. It is literally always like this. But when I’m done I sleep.' Viewers were left equally flabbergasted by the youngsters unfaltering energy levels taking to Twitter to share their thoughts. User Charlotte wrote:  'omg jojo on this morning how does she have so much energy (sic)'While Lauren C Wallace added: 'Jheeze that Jo.

Jo is so full of energy #thismorning'. But despite her popularity, the home- schooled teen style icon from California has revealed she has been the victim of online bullying. Watch Common Outlaws Online Mic more. The dancer and singer says that because she is home- schooled she doesn't witness 'in- person bullying', instead she has been the victim of cyberbullying.

The energetic youngster appeared on This Morning to talk about her own experiences and to encourage others not to listen to anything negative. Viewers were equally surprised at Jo. Jo's energy levels during her appearance on the show During an appearance on This Morning she explained: 'They can just comment "you're fat", "you're ugly", "you're weird", "I hate you", "you're a brat" and "you're annoying".' The enthusiastic youngster continued: 'It's just terrible. It's so mean that someone can just comment. You don't even know who it is half the time.'I think it is not okay, I just want to end it and make people feel good about themselves.' It's Jo.

Jo's first time in the UK as she tours the world to meet and greet the millions of fans she has amassed. She is joined by her mother Jessalyn (second from right)Jo. Jo also told presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford that she refuses to let the bullies get under her skin by ignoring the negative comments and only focusing on the positive.'I don’t let the haters get their way,' she added. Jo. Jo, who was on the show supporting This Morning's own bullying campaign called Be Kind, released a single last year called Boomerang which tackles the issue of cyberbullying, and encourages her listeners to triumph over online bullies. The teen - real name Joelle Joanie - also kick- started the fashion craze 'Jo.

Jo bows', which has swept the nation as children scrambled to emulate the teen's signature look. She revealed that she has her own collection of bows totalling around 1,0. Jo. Jo's signature look has causes a craze to sweep the nation as youngsters scrambled to emulate the child star with 'Jo.

Jo Bows'And the entertainer, who has amassed millions of fans after she began sharing her her everyday life on her You. Tube channel 'Jo. Jo's World', says she would never change a thing about her celebrity lifestyle. She credits her followers, who have dubbed themselves the 'Siwanators', for her success and ability to travel round the world and meet them.'It’s the best lifestyle I can imagine and without my fans I wouldn’t be where I am today.'I wouldn't want to change it for the world.'This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 1.