Teeth Whitening

There are lots of different types of whitening gels on the market both online and in dental practices. Hydrogen peroxide and Carbamide whitening gels are only available in dental practices. Your dentist will determine whether you are “dentally fit” for the use of these products if you are considering teeth whitening. This type of whitening is also the safest as the percentages allowed to safely whiten teeth in the UK and EU has been set at a level so that you are able to achieve a whiter smile safely. The gels work by penetrating the enamel safely to whiten. Naturally peroxide gel is an acidic but if you can find a PH neutral or one with a higher PH this is better as not only it reduces the side effects of sensitivity it also allows for a more comfortable, safer whitening experience.

The options of whitening gel in practices you can be offered are 6% hydrogen peroxide, 10% carbamide and 16% carbamide. Now don’t let the percentages confuse you in to thinking if you go for the 16% its stronger. There is simply no difference in strength between the 6% and 16% it is just the chemical reaction times that is different. 6% hydrogen peroxide works in 60-90mins also known as day wear whitening (some gels we have come across have a quicker activation time of 30-60 mins in the 6%) and 16% carbamide is 4-6 hours which is why this one is considered as overnight wear. The 10% carbamide is the same as the night wear option just a little less strong which can be more suited to patients who may be anxious of possible sensitive side effects or who require internal tooth whitening on a specific tooth for grey staining ( a darker tooth caused by trauma )

A lot of the gels we have sampled have been great in terms of either little to none at all sensitivity, whitening outcome and formulation. The key to a good peroxide gel is a great formulation packed with ingredients like potassium nitrate (helps with relief of sensitivity) a high-water content so that the teeth stay hydrated whilst whitening and a good viscosity so you can control it easily when loading your whitening trays.

Check out the below gels that came in top for their overall whitening result, viscosity, little to no sensitivity experienced and taste. (This top section can and will change as new peroxide based whitening gels are always being made- we have also popped some key notes next to each of the recommended gels for you)