Tooth whitening agents

Tooth whitening preparations are available by dentist s prescription and over the counter. Many products are marketed as systems comprising toothpastes and treatment pastes or gels. The whitening agent in most is 10% carbamide peroxide [35220-04-3], which reacts... 

Whitening mouthwashes These are aqueous or hydroalcoholic solutions that contain the same active ingredients as toothpastes, but at a lower concentration and without abrasive agents. They include whitening agents in their formulation at different concentrations, which help to maintain the tooth colour (Camps Miro, 2006). 

To choose the suitable whitening agent, one mnst bear in mind that its chemical composition must allow whitening of the tooth but have low diffusion capacity in the dentine and that the pH it affords should be almost neutral. 

Whitening of teeth can occur by two mechanisms. One method is mechanical, in which an abrasive is used to remove debris from the tooth. The other method involves either the use of peroxides, which react with water to form free oxygen radicals that help to whiten the teeth or a combination of mechanical and chemical actions. This latter mechanism is found with bleaching agents and is longer lasting than whitening procedures. 

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