What do the OTC Teeth Whitening kits Contain?

In the last decade, we have seen the emergence of numerous teeth whitening kits that can be easily obtained in the form of over-the-counter medicines. Majority of the teeth whiteners currently contain peroxide in high amount. The peroxide-based teeth whiteners gained a lot of popularity and even the dentists use the bleaching tray technique that has 10% carbamide peroxide whitening gel. This has led to the introduction of the various over the counter medicines in the form of teeth whitening kits.

The various over the counter teeth whitening kits comprise of

• Teeth whitening through bleaching trays
• Bleaching with whitening strips
• Paint-on teeth whitening
• Carbamide peroxide teeth whitener
• Whitening toothpastes

• Teeth whitening through bleaching trays: usually the customized bleaching trays are manufactured according to the moulds of the patient’s mouth. This mould is usually made of thin soft plastic. Additionally this teeth whitening kit also comes with carbamide peroxide bleaching gel and the instructions so that the patient wouldn’t have any problems in applying the medicine. Usually these over the counter kits come with a readymade stock of trays instead of the customized ones.

• The whitening strips: this technique was introduced to provide the patients with a bleaching technique, without the tray, but the effectiveness is claimed to have been the same with the strips. These whitening strips are made of polyethylene. Due to this, the strips remain very flexible and thin. One side of the strips have the hydrogen peroxide coating. Basically, these strips have some elements of adhesive in it to help the strip stick to the wall of your teeth. Most of the teeth whitening strips contain hydrogen peroxide.

• Paint-on teeth whitening: the paint-on teeth whitening kit comprises of a bleaching gel with peroxide. This gel is applied to one tooth at a time and this kit also comes with a brush for application of the paint. You just have to apply the paint and it will solidify on your teeth, all by itself just like some invisible film. The paint on teeth whitener found over the counter comprises of 18% carbamide peroxide, which is equal to 6.3% hydrogen peroxide. In fact, the Colgate Simply White was the first one among these over-the-counter paint-on teeth whiteners. They also used a concentration of hydrogen peroxide by 6.7% for their product Colgate Simply White Night. While in Crest Night Effects the bleaching agent used is sodium percarbonate peroxide, concentrate at 19%.

The teeth whitening toothpastes mostly have an effect of abrasion on the teeth. An ideal teeth whitening toothpaste should comprise of the elements like hydrated silicas or calcium carbonate, aluminum oxide, and dicalcium phosphate dehydrate. These elements are slightly abrasive in nature. The scrubbing action of your tooth brush in combination with the abrasive elements of the toothpaste helps to some extent in removal of stains.

The OTC kits for teeth whitening are the best solutions if you are looking for getting your teeth whitened at home. However, it is better to consult a dentist before going for any self medication modalities.