Peroxide ingestion likely not harmful

May 12, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I’m a 79-year-old women and don’t want to go to the doctor because I don’t want to be found senile. For the first and only time I poured a splash of hydrogen peroxide into a water glass for gargling the next morning. Then, hurrying to get to church, I drank the water. Oops! I then drank lots of water and milk. I still drink lots of water but seem to taste the peroxide occasionally from my breath.

DEAR READER: In my opinion, 79 isn’t old so your physician shouldn’t consider you to be senile for making one simple mistake while in a rush. We all get forgetful at times, whether we are 29 or 89. It’s a situation I prefer to refer to as overloaded circuits, rather than the early stages of senility. I would hope your physician wouldn’t think you are a doddering old woman who cannot [Read more...]

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April 24, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I want to know if you think a mouthwash made of one part water and one part hydrogen peroxide is good. I read about it somewhere and thought it was worth a try because it would be less costly than other rinses. Since trying it, I can’t see a problem with it. I make sure to rinse with plain water afterward so I don’t have a bad aftertaste.

Do you know if this is safe to use? Will it have adverse long-term effects?

DEAR READER:
Hydrogen peroxide is perfectly safe to use. The recipe and directions for use as a mouth wash are included on the bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. It recommends mixing equal amounts of water and peroxide to use as a mouth cleanser. It advises avoidance of swallowing the mixture. To the best of my knowledge the minimal amount swallowed during normal mouth cleansing will not cause harm.

You can continue to use your homemade mouthwash safely.

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