Teeth Whitening FAQ

• What Causes Tooth Stains?
• How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
• If all systems contain the same active ingredient, what's the difference?
• What's the difference between Hydrogen Peroxide and Carbamide Peroxide?
• Are There any Side Effects to Teeth Whitening?
• Will the gels you offer be the same as from my family dentist?
• What is the Light used for and is it safe?
• Can I Whiten Veneer or Crowns?

What Causes Tooth Stains?

Chromogenic foods: The term "chromogenic foods" simply refers to foods that when consumed over time have the ability to produce a staining effect on teeth. Coffee, tea, cola, and red wine are all well-known chromogenic agents.

Tobacco products: The cumulative effect of the use of cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and even smokeless tobacco can cause tooth staining.

Medications: The use of some medicines can cause tooth discoloration. As an example, the antibiotic tetracycline (as well as its derivative compounds minocycline and doxycycline) is well documented as producing blue-gray tooth staining if it is ingested during those periods when tooth formation is occurring.  It has been documented that the use of minocycline can cause tooth discoloration even in adults. Minocycline is sometimes used to treat facial skin conditions.

How Does Teeth Whitening Work?

There are two types of tooth stains: “extrinsic,” those stains that are on the surface of the tooth, and “intrinsic,” those stains that are on the inside of the tooth. Both types of staining show through the enamel as discoloration. While whitening toothpaste and chewing gums may be effective for removing extrinsic stains, they are not designed to work inside the tooth to remove the darker, more challenging intrinsic stains.

Most whitening kits use a form of Peroxide to bleach the teeth. The most popular formulations, including those used by most dentists, contain Carbamide Peroxide. Other types of kits, including the Crest Whitestrips, use Hydrogen Peroxide. Both of these Peroxides do the same thing, because they have a chemical relationship!

If all systems use the same active ingredients, how do you differentiate between them?

The answer is simply the concentration of the peroxide solution. Whitening kits can contain anywhere from a 10% concentration, upwards to a 22% concentration. Some kits also contain ingredients which act as buffers to reduce sensitivity. No matter what kit you choose, it all bubbles down to peroxide. In office, it is common for dentists  to perform initial treatments with a 12% hydrogen peroxide, or 35% carbamide peroxide solution. They will then send the patient home with custom trays and syringes of solution, ranging anywhere from ¼ to ½ strength of what the patient was initially  treated with.

What's the difference between Hydrogen Peroxide and Carbamide Peroxide?

The two most common peroxides used in teeth whiteners on the market today are hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide is the chemical formula of H2O2. It is usually created as a water solution (H2O2 dissolved in water). During use, it breaks down into one or more radicals that are the actual chemical "bits" that chemically whiten the teeth. It is usually the "hydroxyl radical" that does the whitening work, but there can be others.

Carbamide peroxide is hydrogen peroxide dissolved in urea crystals. For "palatability" issues the name carbamide peroxide is used instead of the more proper name, urea peroxide.
 
Chemically, carbamide breaks down into hydrogen peroxide. Since it breaks down into a lower concentration, you have to start out at a higher concentration to get a similar effect. A solution of 10% carbamide peroxide breaks down into approximately 3% hydrogen peroxide, therefore, a 22% carbamide peroxide solution breaks down to about 7.5% hydrogen peroxide.

In general, hydrogen peroxide products are used for short daytime use and carbamide peroxide is used for longer overnight periods.

Are There any Side Effects to Teeth Whitening?

Temporary sensitivity of either the gums or the teeth is the most common characteristic of the whitening process. Carbamide peroxide actually causes dissolution of isolated groups of enamel rod prisms which causes the dentin to become exposed microscopically. This in turn causes sensitivity and typically will continue until the temperature of the tooth warms back to body temperature as the dentin becomes concealed. This usually occurs within an hour or two after the procedure.

Will the gels you offer be the same as from my family dentist?

Absolutely. Our partner in dentistry actually supplies a great deal of product to dentist offices throughout the nation. However the key to the success of our whitening system is our patent-pending blue light technology which increases the potency of whitening in fraction of the time and cost.

What is the Light used for and is it safe?

When the light is placed into position it is emits a cold blue light in the wavelength between 400 and 500nm (light that is blue-green in color). No heat emanates from the LED light, so it can not burn the patient.  The light is not ultra-violet but a cold blue light.  Patients wear protective goggles to protect their eyes. Our specialized formulas contain a photo-initiator which is activated by the light and enhances the whitening effect. When the light is placed into position properly, it is capable of simultaneously illuminating all of the patient's teeth (both upper and lower).

Can I Whiten Veneer or Crowns?

The majority of the treatments available for teeth whitening are suitable only for natural teeth. The gels work only on natural tooth enamel and not on artificial materials.

However, in some cases it is possible to make a veneer look whiter. Since a veneer only covers the front of a tooth, whitening agents can access the natural tooth structure from behind. By whitening the underlying dentin the veneer may show more brightness. Typically, this type of a procedure is performed at a dentist’s office.