Teeth whitening is carried out through two methods, either Hydrogen peroxide or Carbamide peroxide.
In this article you will learn the difference between the two and learn which one is more effective at giving you those pearly whites.
Oh and by the way, Carbamide peroxide Teeth Whitening is NOT Dangerous at all when manufactured and used according to the instruction’s given.
It’s actually less concentrated than hydrogen peroxide.
What Is Carbamide Peroxide?
Carbamide peroxide is a complex substance that breaks down into hydrogen peroxide when it comes into contact with water.
So in essence the chemistry of most tooth whitening is that of hydrogen peroxide because carbamide peroxide breaks down into hydrogen anyway.
The ratio of carbamide peroxide to hydrogen peroxide is 3:1 which simply means that if a whitening product has 30% carbamide peroxide within it, 10% of that will be hydrogen peroxide.
Is Carbamide Better Than Hydrogen Peroxide
No not at all, both of these substances work equally efficiently at whitening teeth.
A study carried out by the American dental association showed that although carbamide peroxide produced slightly more emphatic results initially, ultimately products containing equivalent amounts of carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide produced exactly the same results.
You might be wondering why these home teeth whitening kits most of the time contain carbamide peroxide and not hydrogen.
The reason for this is hydrogen peroxide breaks down fast (30-60 mins) and the concentration is much higher than carbamide peroxide.
Carbamide peroxide on the other hand releases half of it’s whitening power within the first 2 hours and then remains active for up to 6 additional hours.
If you get your teeth whitening done at the dentist you will notice that they use hydrogen peroxide as the whitening agent and the sessions last between 40-60 minutes.
It’s more efficient in terms of saving time and giving fast results.
That’s not to say carbamide peroxide is less effective, in fact it works just as well.
It’s contained within home teeth whitening kits because it’s safer to use by the average person and the concentration is lower which is why it is recommended that you use the whitening kits every day for the first week to achieve the same results as you would at the dentist.
Which Causes More Sensitivity
Both produce brilliant results, there’s no arguing that but there is a noticeable difference in sensitivity when using hydrogen peroxide vs carbamide peroxide products.
Hydrogen peroxide should only be used in a supervised environment under professional supervision especially if high concentrations of the substance are being used.
This is because of the extreme hyper tooth sensitivity and gum irritation.
On the other hand carbamide peroxide can safely be used at home without the need of additional supervision.
But please consult your local dentist before carrying out any sort of whitening treatment.
Which Has A Longer Shelf Life
Carbamide peroxide has a longer shelf life than hydrogen peroxide mainly because carbamide does not release all of it’s whitening power in one go.
Nowadays most whiteners contain stabilizers which helps to increase the shelf life for up to 1 year. A refrigerator makes a good place to store whitening kits because of the cool, dark environment.
The Real Advantage Of Carbamide Peroxide
When carbamide peroxide gel is administered, a two-step process initiates:
- Will be exposed to saliva. Breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and urea
- The hydrogen then breaks down further and creates free radicals important for the whitening process.
This transformation takes time and means that free radicals are produced over a longer time span and at a sustained rate.
Which Should You Go For? Carbamide vs. Hydrogen
Both these gels can be produced in a way that makes them equal products and both types have been accepted by the dental community as a whole.
But we would recommend you go for products with a 16-18% carbamide peroxide gel simply because:
- Has the longest history of being used (25 years)
- Has been the most studied of the two
This whitening system is produced in Australia by qualified dentists and scientists. It has been tested thoroughly and has passed but more importantly it’s been approved by:
- Food and drug administration (FDA)
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
- Australian Competition And Consumer Commission (ACCC)
It’s 100% safe to use because the active ingredient is carbamide peroxide which has a concentration of 18% which makes it very effective.
It’s basically a mouth tray kit which you use to mould your teeth into and then you administer the whitening gels into each of the indentations of the teeth.
You then place the mouth trays back into the mouth and keep them in there for 40-60 minutes.
Do this every day for the first 7 days and you should see a massive difference in the colour of your teeth.
But what makes this product stand out from the rest is the fact that they offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
Another cool feature is the blue desensitizing gel just in case you feel discomfort with your teeth after using the product.
Final Thoughts
You can feel great about using either a hydrogen peroxide or a carbamide peroxide product to whiten your smile.
Both will produce the same high-quality results, with no difference in sensitivity or rebound.
Just make sure that you get general advice from a dental professional before you decide to go for a whitening treatment.
Always make sure the product you are buying looks legitimate and offers a money back guarantee which shows that it’s actually a good product.
And always read reviews before you buy anything, it will give a better understanding of the effectiveness of a product or service.
If you have any additional concerns or questions that may not have been answered in this article please feel free to leave a comment below and we will make sure to answer it as soon as possible.
