Hydrogen Peroxide Teeth Whitening

Hydrogen peroxide teeth whitening is the most common method of tooth-bleaching, both at home and in the dentist office. This chemical is common, easy to find, and relatively harmless in low concentrations. Even fast procedures like light-assisted power-bleaching are the result of hydrogen peroxide. The speed at which a bleaching system works depends entirely on the concentration of peroxide used, and the amount of time the substance remains in contact with the teeth.

The only tooth whitening system that does not contain hydrogen peroxide is whitening toothpaste. Like baking soda, whitening toothpaste acts as an abrasive cleaner to scrub stains off the surface of teeth. All other systems, from whitening strips to one-hour intense whitening sessions, use some form of hydrogen peroxide. Some methods begin with a substance called carbamide peroxide. This is a solid crystal that dissolves in water and breaks down into hydrogen peroxide.

Most people can remember keeping a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in the medicine cabinet and using it to clean wounds. That bottle probably contained 3% hydrogen peroxide, a common concentration for household use. Concentrations up to 10% are generally considered safe for human contact, and are not regulated. Hydrogen peroxide teeth whitening is usually accomplished with concentrations of 3% up to 45% hydrogen peroxide.

High-concentration tooth-bleaching systems are reserved for professional use due to the danger of chemical burns caused by the hydrogen peroxide. The gums and inside of the mouth must be protected from the powerful oxidizing agents found in highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide. Power bleaching is usually accomplished in several treatments totaling less than one hour, and assisted with bright lights that increase the speed at which the peroxide oxidizes the stains on your teeth. Before this kind of treatment, some sort of protective barrier is applied to the gums.

Home whitening kits also use hydrogen peroxide, usually in gel form. These can take much longer than professional treatments, but the effects often last longer. Whitening kits can use adhesive strips that stick to the teeth, or trays that hold peroxide gel. Trays are most effective when they are properly fitted to your mouth, and you may want to consider having your dentist make you a custom set.

You can do hydrogen peroxide teeth whitening a home without a kit, but this can be difficult. The longer the peroxide stays in contact with your teeth, the more effective it will be. Liquid peroxide can be used as a mouthwash, but this results in only a minute or two of contact per day. Some people like to mix peroxide with baking soda or some other substance to make a paste that can sit on their teeth for several minutes before being rinsed. While this is an inexpensive way to perform hydrogen peroxide teeth whitening, you may find a kit to be more effective. Remember that most other teeth whitening methods involve the use of hydrogen peroxide, and you may have to do many treatments with 3% hydrogen peroxide to get the same effect as a home whitening kit.