Can You Use Whitening Strips While Pregnant?

There is no safety data for teeth whitening during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, so check with your dentist or midwife before you use whitening strips. That is the whole of our answer, and it applies to our own strips in exactly the same way. The rest of this page sets out what the NHS says about your teeth and gums in pregnancy, what it says about free dental care while you are pregnant and for a year afterwards, and why a dental check-up is a good moment to ask.

We should be open about who is writing this. Pure Glow makes whitening strips, sold in our 28 strip box. This page is not a recommendation to use our strips, or any whitening product, while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is here to answer the question plainly.

The short answer: there is no safety data, so ask first

There is no safety data for whitening during pregnancy or breastfeeding. We are not going to fill that gap with a guess in either direction. What this page can tell you is who to ask: your dentist or your midwife, before you start.

The same answer covers breastfeeding. It also covers every kind of whitening product, including peroxide-free strips like ours. Being peroxide free describes the ingredient; it is not safety data for pregnancy or breastfeeding.

For whitening and teeth in general, rather than pregnancy, the evidence is in our post on whether whitening strips are bad for teeth. For pregnancy and breastfeeding, the answer is the one on this page.

What the NHS says about your teeth and gums in pregnancy

The NHS week by week pregnancy guide, on its page for 13 weeks, says: "Swollen, painful and bleeding gums are common during pregnancy."

On its gum disease page, in the section on preventing gum disease, the NHS says to "see a dentist and dental hygienist for regular check-ups, especially if you're pregnant or have type 2 diabetes". It also says you should have regular dental check-ups "even if you do not have any problems".

That is as far as this page goes on gums. Anything you have noticed about your own teeth or gums is a question for your dentist, and the NHS pages linked in the sources below are the place to read more.

Free NHS dental care while you are pregnant and for a year after

The NHS gum disease page carries a box headed "Free dental care in pregnancy". It reads: "Check-ups and treatment from a dentist are free when you're pregnant and for 1 year after you give birth." It adds: "Ask your midwife or GP about the maternity exemption (MATEX) certificate".

The NHS page on who can get free NHS dental treatment in England lists the same group, people who are "pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months", and gives "a valid maternity exemption certificate" as one example of proof to show your dentist. The same page makes one point that matters here: "If you're eligible, you can only get free NHS dental treatment. You'll need to pay for any private dental treatment." The NHS teeth whitening page says teeth whitening "is not available on the NHS", so it is not part of that free care.

A check-up is a good moment to ask

If you are having dental check-ups while you are pregnant, the appointment is a natural place to raise whitening, alongside anything else you want to ask about your teeth and gums. Your midwife is the other person to ask, and the NHS gum disease page already points you to your midwife or GP for the exemption certificate.

If you are asking about our strips in particular, the full ingredients are listed on our facts page, exactly as printed on the box, so whoever you ask can see what is in them.

Teeth whitening in general

For teeth whitening in general, outside pregnancy and breastfeeding, our guide to your teeth whitening options sets out the routes in the UK, from a dentist to products you use yourself, and what the named sources say about each.

Frequently asked questions

Can you use teeth whitening strips while pregnant?
There is no safety data for using teeth whitening strips while pregnant, so check with your dentist or midwife first.

Can I use teeth whitening strips while pregnant?
Ask your dentist or midwife before you do. There is no safety data for whitening during pregnancy, and that includes our own strips.

Teeth whitening while pregnant: what is the answer?
There is no safety data for teeth whitening during pregnancy, so check with your dentist or midwife first.

Can you have teeth whitening while breastfeeding?
There is no safety data for teeth whitening while breastfeeding either, so check with your dentist or midwife first.

Is there such a thing as pregnancy safe teeth whitening?
Not one we can point you to. There is no safety data for whitening during pregnancy or breastfeeding, including peroxide-free strips like ours, so check with your dentist or midwife first.

Is dental treatment free when you are pregnant?
The NHS says check-ups and treatment from a dentist are free while you are pregnant and for 1 year after you give birth. Private treatment, including teeth whitening, is not covered.

Related reading:

• Whitening strips vs dentist whitening
• How long teeth whitening lasts
• The UK whitening rules
• Teeth whitening at home

Sources:

• NHS, Teeth whitening, page last reviewed 19 August 2025. For teeth whitening not being available on the NHS.
• NHS Best Start in Life, 13 weeks pregnant guide, page undated. For gums in pregnancy.
• NHS, Gum disease, page last reviewed 20 April 2026. For free dental care in pregnancy, the exemption certificate and check-ups.
• NHS, Who can get free NHS dental treatment or help with dental costs, page last reviewed 11 February 2025. For eligibility in England, proof and private treatment.