One of the two chemicals most commonly used in over the counter teeth whitening products today is hydrogen peroxide. This is the active ingredient responsible for the whitening results provided by many at home whitening gels, strips, and pens. This grand chemical can contribute great whitening results but care must be taken to use it safely and avoid possible side effects.
What is Hydrogen Peroxide?
Hydrogen peroxide is made up of two atoms of hydrogen and two of oxygen. It takes the form of a clear liquid resembling water but it functions as an oxidizer - a chemical that breaks down into oxygen. Because of this it is has many applications in cleaning and bleaching. For example, it is used to sterilize wounds and bleach hair. Teeth whitening is just one of the many uses of this chemical.
Hydrogen Peroxide Teeth Whitening - How To Safely Whiten Your Teeth With Hydrogen Peroxide
How Does Hydrogen Peroxide Whiten Teeth?
Hydrogen peroxide is a useful whitening agent because it breaks down into water and oxygen. It is the concentrated oxygen released by peroxide that actively breaks apart the chemical bonds retention together the stain pigments within your teeth. Unlike abrasive ingredients like baking soda that can only clear stains off the outside enamel of your teeth, the oxygen from peroxide can penetrate into the porous buildings of your enamel and dentin to clean your teeth from the inside out. The yellow or brown discoloration on your teeth is the consequent of stain pigments from eating positive foods, drinks or from smoking. The oxygen tears apart these pigments at a molecular level, resulting in far whiter teeth than can be achieved with outside level cleaning.
How Does Hydrogen Peroxide compare to Carbamide Peroxide?
Carbamide peroxide is also used for teeth whitening and in fact carbamide will break down into hydrogen peroxide. This means that a solution of carbamide peroxide has less concentrated whitening power than an equal ration of hydrogen peroxide. It's only about a third as strong. A 30% percent attentiveness of carbamide peroxide is only as productive at bleaching your teeth to a whiter shade as a 10% solution of hydrogen peroxide. Despite this carbamide peroxide is popularly used in whitening products.
The imagine carbamide peroxide is commonly used in at home whitening products instead of hydrogen peroxide is because it is safer to handle. Whitening products that comprise carbamide peroxide for whitening are safer to use and much less likely to cause side effects than hydrogen peroxide whitening gels which use stronger concentrations of peroxide. A good carbamide peroxide whitening gel can still get you the whitening results you're finding for, despite providing less peroxide.
Both carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide are productive at whitening teeth. Don't worry too much about the relative strengths and concentrations of assorted peroxide-based whitening products. Instead of trying to find the top attentiveness of hydrogen peroxide available in a whitening goods you can get the whiter teeth you want with a lower and safer attentiveness of carbamide peroxide.
What Are the possible Side Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide?
Unfortunately, because it is such a strong oxidizer hydrogen peroxide can cause side effects like temporarily increased tooth sensitivity or even chemical burns if allowed to come in feel with skin or the gums.
These side effects can be avoided however. To preclude tooth sensitivity that makes it painful to eat ice cream or drink hot soup you can use a medicinal fluoride toothpaste featuring NovaMin to heal the buildings of your teeth before whitening with a hydrogen peroxide gel. This will make your teeth less susceptible to that annoying side effect.
Preventing chemical burns is also easy. Just consequent the manufacturer's directions exactly as written, determined noting the amount of whitening gel to use. This will keep the peroxide gel from seeping out of its retention tray and arrival into feel with your gums. Remember that using more gel will not whiten your teeth any faster. Don't fill the tray with more gel than necessary.
