More on Hydrogen Peroxide
Published:November 28th, 2010
Hydrogen peroxide is a fairly common ingredient not only in teeth whitening kits but also in other products. It has been used for years as an antiseptic and disinfectant for small wounds. The chemical composition is very close to water, there is only one extra oxygen molecule in hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide is sold in brown bottles because if it is exposed to light, it will turn into water. In fact, hydrogen peroxide is a very unstable compound so you should always use fresh products. As hydrogen peroxide naturally degrades if exposed to light, you have to choose whitening strips, gels or other whitening products that are fresh.
There are ways to stabilize hydrogen peroxide, refrigeration is one way, adding preservative compounds is the second and complete encapsulation is the third.
Preservative compounds that prevent hydrogen peroxide from breaking down while the product is stored are helpful but the same compounds will prevent hydrogen peroxide from breaking down when you use it for teeth whitening.
Refrigeration on the other hand, is a better way of ensuring the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide. Once the substance is removed from the place where it is kept cold, you can use it on your teeth and it will provide an effective bleaching of the teeth.
Complete encapsulation means using a vacuum sealed ampoule but unfortunately a weakly packaging system is often used for teeth whitening products sold over the counter.
As a bleaching agent, hydrogen peroxide is the key ingredient for teeth whitening. However, high concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the teeth whitening products can have side effects such as tooth sensitivity or gum irritation.
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