How Carbamide Peroxide Can Whiten Your Smile

This in depth article discusses the many ways that carbamide peroxide gel can improve your smile by whitening your teeth to new levels.

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Have you ever wondered how carbamide peroxide works as a teeth whitening ingredient? Used as a medication for ear wax build up, how does this solution work as a teeth whitener? Here we will look at the basic components and uses of carbamide peroxide, specifically with how it relates to and interacts with the whitening of your teeth.

The common tooth whitening gel contains two main ingredients that are responsible for removing blemishes found within the teeth. The main components of these gels can either be carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. While a higher concentration of these bleaching agents – from 10% to 30% – means quicker and improved results, this would also mean higher risk of damage to the teeth and gums as there is only so much of these compounds that our enamel is prepared to handle at once.

Carbamide peroxide is made up of molecules of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. It contains hydrogen peroxide which is primarily used for cleaning infections. However, the chemical is combined with urea which converts hydrogen peroxide to carbamide peroxide. When mixed with water, it emits oxygen. Pure carbamide peroxide appears as white crystals which can easily dissolve in water.

The main difference between hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide lies on the way they act on the stains on the teeth. The former is a fast acting bleach agent which can deliver almost immediate results and is used for about 20 – 30 minutes every night for a period of one week or a couple of weeks for the best result. The latter, on the other hand, has a lower strength but the possibility of harm to the teeth and gums is also reduced compared to other bleaching solutions.

Carbamide peroxide gels usually have a concentration of 10% - 20% of the agent and some solutions even have 30% carbamide peroxide in them making them very potent. It is recommended to use the product with the supervision of a dentist. For home use, it is best to use solutions which have a maximum of 16% concentration.

A carbamide peroxide gel is ideal as a teeth whitening agent because it does not present any  potential threat to the teeth or gums. Compared with other bleaching agents, it is defenitely much safer.  Any side effects are attributed to the inappropriate use of the gel more than anything else.

In addition, carbamide peroxide gels is very effective in reducing stains. Its whitening effect does not result from 'wiping off' stains but from reducing oxygen coming to the stains making them less visible. Most of the gels that can be purchased from the market nowadays contain oxidizing agents so you can achieve better results.

When considering carbamide peroxide whitening, it is important to first consult your dentist. This is because the dentist would be able to detect flaws in the teeth before the bleaching agent is applied. This way, the dentist would be able to correct the flaws that have been detected so the bleaching agent would not damage the teeth or gums.

Article Tags: Carbamide Peroxide, Hydrogen Peroxide

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