The teeth whitening process includes two active ingredients: hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide. Whitening products differ between which active ingredient they contain as the main whitening solution. This poses the question: what’s the difference? The main difference between hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide is that hydrogen peroxide is an effective whitening agent by itself. On the other hand, carbamide peroxide contains hydrogen peroxide in it. For every 30% of carbamide peroxide, there is also 10% of hydrogen peroxide.
The good news is, one doesn’t work better than the other. A journal published by American Dental Association showed that while carbamide peroxide shows slightly more dramatic results at first, products containing both ingredients produce exactly the same results. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down faster than carbamide peroxide and releases most of its whitening agent within 30-60 minutes. Carbamide peroxide releases about 50% of its whitening agent in the first two hours and it remains active for up to six additional hours. This means, products using hydrogen peroxide has shorter wear time but both active ingredients have similar whitening properties. The amount of product used and the time it will take to fully activate applies to each patient’s unique needs.
As far as sensibility goes, there is no noticeable difference. Tooth sensitivity comes naturally with teeth whitening, but both active ingredients produce the same level of sensibility. Rebound is when the teeth appear lighter immediately after whitening, but then lose brightness over a short period of time. Rebound deals more with dehydration than peroxide levels and can be prevented by adding more water to the product. Products with carbamide peroxide have a slightly longer shelf life than those with hydrogen peroxide, but refrigerating peroxide products increases shelf life all-together.
Overall, both hydrogen peroxide and carbamide produce excellent results. You should feel comfortable about using either product to whiten your smile. For questions about whitening, feel free to call us at 215-567-4949.
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