Teeth bleaching - How does it work?

Firstly “bleach” is a term used to describe the chemical process in which colour is eliminated from the tooth by oxidisation of the stain molecules.

The teeth whitening kits that are available today contain either hydrogen or carbamide peroxide, however there is no actual “bleach” in the product.

When a whitening gel is applied to a person’s teeth, the peroxide breaks down into oxygen molecules that work effectively to go inside the teeth and break down stains that sit inside the pores of tooth enamel.

Tooth stains actually cause less light to shine through teeth, making them look dull. When the stains break apart, they create less of a blockage for the light. The result is that more light is able to shine through the teeth and they look whiter.

The application of the “whitening gel” to the teeth (by either a whitening tray, strip or pen) allows the oxidisation process to take place, providing a very safe and convenient way of obtaining a whiter, brighter smile.

• Both carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide are enamel safe “whitening” ingredients used world wide by dentists for hundreds of years.
• Over the counter, take home teeth whitening kits contain exactly the same ingredients.

Carbamide or Hydrogen Peroxide – Which is Best?

Now this is the technical stuff...

There have been many studies about the strengths and weaknesses of both carbamide peroxide (cp) and hydrogen peroxide (hp). Basically there is a chemical relationship between both.

• From a technical perspective Chemically, Carbamide Peroxide (also known as Urea Hydrogen Peroxide ) is CO(NH2)2.H2O2. It breaks down into Hydrogen Peroxide [H202] and Urea [CO(NH2)2] in an aqueous solution.
• A solution of 10% Carbamide Peroxide breaks down into approximately 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (therefore, a 22% Carbamide Peroxide solution breaks down to about 7.5% Hydrogen Peroxide).

Recent tests have shown that HP works faster than CP, however over time the results of CP “catch up” and the actual whitening results are about the same. remember the active ingredient in CP tooth bleaching kits is hydrogen peroxide.

Top Ninja Tip

OK, then it’s a no-brainer! Just look for the highest number, right? Well, it’s not quite so simple. You see, Peroxide is caustic to human tissue, and has a nasty habit of temporarily “burning” your gums (causing white spots which disappear in a day or two — or even bleeding).

It can also make your teeth feel sensitive. So if you have never whitened before and you go right for the 22% solution, you might be hating life for several days or weeks — ouch!

The safest thing to do is find a whitening kit that offers a solution around 15% Carbamide Peroxide. This will be strong enough to produce results without causing a lot of discomfort.

Take our FREE Teeth Whitening Evaluation and find out which is the right teeth whitening kit for you