Teeth Whitening Products – What Is The Difference?

Teeth whitening products are best identified by the ingredients contained in them. Whilst most of the active ingredients are simply unpronounceable, the ones that can be pronounced are actually beyond our understanding. It is only after reading the label of the product that a person realizes what is about to happen. It further takes the person ahead to think about what could happen to him if he starts using the product that contain so many difficult ingredients.

Before purchasing any teeth whitening product, it is important to understand the ingredients contained in the same. Having some general knowledge about the chemicals contained in the ingredients can actually make you more familiar with them, while also giving you all the possible knowledge about ingredient, its composition, its effects and side effects. Scientific names can be very confusing, therefore, try to find out the generic names to understand the product better.

The Active Ingredients

Confusion and confusion! The very sight of the label can make you feel that you are heading for trouble. Keeping aside all these feelings, let us learn more about the teeth whitening ingredients by name and functionality.

The most commonly used active ingredient in any teeth whitening product or system is peroxide. Without peroxide a teeth whitening system is incomplete.

Peroxide

Peroxide is the potential compound that acts as a bleaching agent in all teeth whitening products, even the most expensive teeth whitening procedures and treatments use peroxide as the active ingredient for whitening.

Peroxide is basically a compound that contains single bond oxygen. The simplest and the most stable form of peroxide is hydrogen peroxide, which is the most commonly used ingredient for teeth whitening. There is yet another type of peroxide known as carbamide peroxide, which is also used for teeth whitening. In general, teeth whitening treatments are carried out using either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide or both.

Peroxide works by breaking down in to oxygen thereby allowing the teeth enamel to get bleached properly. When used properly and in accurate concentrations, peroxide does not cause any damage to the enamel of your teeth or any other parts of the mouth.

Different teeth whitening products contain different strengths of the peroxide bleaching agent. Those containing higher amounts of this bleaching agent can produce quicker results and also more dramatic whitening than the others. However, they might as well increase the risks associated with tooth sensitivity. On the contrary, the lower concentrations of peroxide are mild on the teeth, but are less effective as well. Therefore, using higher concentrations of peroxide safely is the best idea.

Hydrogen Peroxide

One of the most active teeth whitening ingredients is hydrogen peroxide. It is the best when used in basic form. Hydrogen peroxide is widely available in whitening strips, whiteners and paints, whitening mouth washes and some of the most effective teeth whitening systems too.

Carbamide Peroxide

Carbamide peroxide is basically the combination of hydrogen peroxide and urea. Usually, products containing carbamide peroxide are more effective. It can be used in various concentration, 35% being the highest and 22% being the lowest. However, over-the-counter teeth whitening products usually use concentrations that are lower than 22% and are least effective. 10% of carbamide peroxide is equivalent to 3% of hydrogen peroxide.

Other Ingredients

Sodium Bicarbonate

Also known as baking soda, sodium bicarbonate helps in cleaning teeth and neutralizing the mouth acids too, which often tends to destroy the enamel. Although is it mildly abrasive, it helps in cleaning teeth properly. It is widely used in whitening toothpastes.

Hydrated Silica

It is a derivative of silicon dioxide, and is safe for teeth whitening. It is also mildly abrasive, alike every other teeth whitening ingredient, but it helps in cleaning stains from teeth and also removes deep-seated marks and spots. It is often used in combination with calcium carbonate to remove plaque and tartar. It is widely used in whitening toothpastes and other whitening products for teeth whitening.

Potassium Nitrate

Potassium nitrate is also an effective teeth whitening ingredient that simultaneously helps in reducing sensitivity by protecting all the nerves found in the root of your teeth underlying the gums. It has been recognized by the FDA as an essential ingredient for whitening. It is present in almost all teeth whitening products, including toothpastes, whitening gels and toothpastes for teeth sensitivity.

Calprox

Calprox is the latest invention; a patented formulation that contains baking soda along with sixteen other essential ingredients to give you the desired result.  This ingredient is commonly found in teeth whitening toothpastes.

Apart from all these, there are ingredients like Ployvinylpyrrolidone, Sodium Monofluorophosphate or Fluoride, Strontium chloride and Sodium tripolyphosphate that are usually present in some of the best teeth whitening products available on the market these days.

Are these Ingredients Effective?

Yes, they are. In fact, all these ingredients are very much effective in producing dramatic whiteness within a few days. Although the main ingredient is peroxide, the other active ingredients have a crucial role to play in whitening your teeth from time to time.

These bleaching agents, basically all chemicals work together to produce whiteness that lasts much longer than you can imagine. They offer long-lasting teeth whitening solution that usually doesn’t fade until of course you are not maintaining the whiteness as directed by your dentist.

Safety Issues

Well, the safety issues are important, and they demands consideration. Usually the teeth whitening ingredients are responsible for making the enamel layers weaker, which results in sensitivity. Often times the nerves inside the mouth are exposed and cause pain and irritation. In order to prevent these conditions it is very crucial to know the proper use of different ingredients. It is only a dentist who can guide you in this regard and can offer you the best combination of concentrations required for teeth whitening.

Maintaining your oral health is up to you. The whiteners and the ingredients contained in them can only offer some relief, but in the long run you would have to be cautious about your oral health condition.