In this particular case the carbamide peroxide gel is part of a tray-based tooth whitening system where the gel is contained and measures have been taken to ensure minimal to no contact is made to the gums. These tray-based systems have come to be more accepted by the dental community as a method of tooth whitening that can be controlled to a certain degree.

To answer the question of what exactly carbamide peroxide is. It is a compound variation of hydrogen peroxide that is combined with urea and is also known as hydrogen peroxide urea. It is a gel that has been found will safely whiten teeth without causing significant tooth sensitivity or gum damage. The reason that carbamide peroxide is used rather than hydrogen peroxide is that it is a more stable substance.

By degrading more slowly, carbamide peroxide teeth whiteners can release it’s whitening potential over a longer period of time. This slower release and more gradual whitening effect results in a minimization of adverse side effects.

The carbamide peroxide gels that are used in take home whitening trays usually contain a ratio of around 10-16% of carbamide peroxide. Any gel that contains a higher strength than that runs the risk of causing extreme sensitivity and damage to the gums. A 10% concentration of carbamide peroxide is thought to be a safe level and a recent clinical trial has also shown that there is little difference between a 10% concentration and a 16% concentration.

Some of the tooth whitening products that use carbamide peroxide as the active ingredient plus the concentration used include: DenTek Complete White Touch Up Formula (10%), Nupro White Gold Tooth Whitening (10%), Maximum White Teeth Whitening Kit (22%), Opalescence 15% Teeth Whitening Gel (15%).

The iWhite Light Activated Teeth Whitening Kit uses iWhite foam strips that are placed in the mouthpiece for each bleaching session. The bleaching agent is a gel that contains 6% Hydrogen Peroxide. The gel is activated by a light that is embedded in the iWhite tray that is powered by a 3-volt battery. The bluish light pulses the light into the whitening foam strips which catalyses the whitening reaction, speeding up the whitening process.

Treatment time is twenty minutes and it is recommended to follow a 5 day treatment. The whitening foam strips are discarded after each whitening session.

Each iWhite Light Activated Teeth Whitening Kit contains a 3-volt light activated tray and 10 disposable whitening foam strips.

There have been some reviews in about iWhite and those that have used it have expressed their satisfaction with the product finding that it has given good whitening results after only 1 or 2 treatments. There have only been a minority of people who have claimed that the product did not work at all, but there is always going to be a percentage who do not see a benefit.

Sensitivity does not seem to be an issue but because the product contains Hydrogen Peroxide gum inflammation can be an issue if the gel makes contact with the more sensitive parts of the mouth.

Overall these appear to be worthwhile teeth bleaching kits that are worth consideration. The price is around the $40 mark for a 5 day whitening treatment.

DenTek’s Complete White Professional Whitening system is a dual-formula system that is to be used at home. You use the formula once a day and the application takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. In 7 days the Deep Stain Formula will have done its work and your teeth should be whiter.

The entire year side of the bargain is covered by the Touch-Up Formula that comes with the pack which you apply once a month to maintain the whitening effect.

To apply the DenTek Complete White Professional Whitening system you spread a film of the Deep Stain Formula gel to the inside of the Comfort Trays. The trays are placed over the upper and lower teeth firmly to spread the gel evenly. They are then left in place for 30 minutes. Remove the trays after 30 minutes and then you brush or rinse the remaining gel from your teeth.

The Deep Stain Formula gel is made with 6% hydrogen peroxide. This level has been kept low to avoid causing discomfort to the gums and so that the tooth enamel is not affected. The active ingredient in the Touch-Up Formula is a 10% carbamide peroxide.

The tooth sensitivity problem that other OTC teeth whitening systems have is caused by the peroxide in the product dehydrating the teeth during application. The Complete White gels are designed to hydrate the teeth while they work.

Speaking of work, does the Complete White Professional Whitening work? The only independent review of the product that I have seen has given the system a moderate rating with only mediocre results and a complaint that the trays were uncomfortable. Time will tell as more people try the product and give feedback on their results.

The cost of the DenTek Complete White Professional Whitening pack is around $20 but if you visit the Dentek website you can order coupons that give you $5 off the price.

When you buy an Aquafresh White Trays packet you are getting a 7-day home treatment system. The idea behind the whitening trays is that you can fit them on your teeth and they will immediately begin to work. If you then wish to move around the home, or even leave the house, you are free to do so because the trays are not messy, are quick working and are entirely enclosed.

The instructions advise you that they trays can be placed on the upper and lower teeth, after which you need to press them firmly into place in order to spread the gel properly around the teeth. The treatment will then take 30 – 45 minutes, but you don’t have to sit still while waiting for the Aquafresh White Trays to do their job.

The treatment should be performed once a day for 5 days, although the website explains that even better results can be attained by increasing the treatment to 7 days.

The active ingredient in the whitening gel is hydrogen peroxide and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the gel is 10%. Note that hydrogen peroxide can cause strong reactions to delicate parts of the body such as gums or tongue. If you notice any sort of irritation or burning, discontinue use immediately. To prevent peroxide burns it is a good idea to wipe off any excess gel after pressing the tray to your teeth. You could also smear a layer of Vaseline around your gums as a preparatory step. Following the whitening treatment, after you remove the trays from your teeth, be sure to rinse the mouth out thoroughly with water before you brush your teeth.

By all reports Aquafresh White Trays works. Teeth are whitened, although the extent to which the whitening process takes place varies from person to person, as with most over the counter treatments. A large proportion of people who have used the product have reported a variety of problems including severe teeth pain, gum and tongue pains and sores caused from using the trays. Quite a large number of people have also mentioned that it is quite difficult to keep the trays in place for the duration of the treatment.

As with all teeth whitening products you should proceed with caution. The cost of a package containing one treatment of Aquafresh White Trays is around the $35.00 mark. If you experience discomfort during or after your first treatment, make sure you discontinue using it.

As a follow-up I thought I would do some hunting around to find out a little more about the experiences that people have had using the product.

It was hoped that there would be countless stories of happy or unhappy experiences using the product and advice on what you might try or prefer to try to get the most out of Nupro White Gold Teeth Whitening. Basic information such as whether it causes sensitive teeth, how long the whitening effect lasted and how easy it was to use.

Now, in trying to conduct this study I was expecting to find numerous sites where some sort of independent review or opinion would be offered on how effective Nupro White Gold was in whitening teeth. What I have actually found was a definite dearth of such sites, but plenty of landing pages, sales pitches and phony opinion pieces.

In the end I have gone searching through some US government sites in a bid to get some official opinions on Nupro.

The first study I found was a clinical trial that was performed by the Department of Restorative Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore Dental School, USA with an extract published on the National Center for Biotechnology Information site. The clinical trial is titled:

“Clinical evaluation of a new 10% carbamide peroxide tooth-whitening agent.”

This was the study in which NUPRO Gold Tooth Whitening System was evaluated for efficacy according to the proposed ADA guidelines for acceptance.

The trial involved 60 participants who participated in a 14 day double blind clinical trial. The participants were matched for age, gender, and oral health status and were given either a placebo gel without the active agent or the NUPRO Gold active gel, which they wore in a custom-fabricated mouth guard for home use.

Each participant kept a daily diary and recorded such things as time of use, and hypersensitivity and tissue irritation and other possible side effects.

The results: The average shade change for the placebo users was less than one shade. The average shade change for the NUPRO Gold users was 6.96 shades. Tooth hypersensitivity varied from none to severe. Tissue irritation was minimal. The results of these evaluations indicate that NUPRO Gold is effective as a tooth-whitening system, when administered properly under the supervision of a dentist.

So, one clinical trial was found that I could determine was a trustworthy and independent review of the product. At that time it gave Nupro White Gold teeth whitening the thumbs up.

I’d still like to gather together some more relevant information about Nupro White Gold Teeth Whitening kits and how effective they are. So in that case, perhaps anyone who has had some experience using the product might like to chime in by adding their comment here in this post.

There are a number of products that can be bought only over the Internet claiming to guarantee results, sell for supposed low, low prices and come with all sorts of glowing testimonials. The problem is, when it all gets boiled down, the products don’t work.

In many cases the companies protect themselves over the fact that their tooth whitening products are worthless with the claim that multiple treatments are required to get the maximum effect. In other words, if you have a complaint, you are advised by the company to buy even more of their product. If you’re not careful you could find yourself stung not once but twice before it dawns on you that what you’ve bought doesn’t actually do anything. Not only that, the manufacturers of these whiteners have a fallback by using the assertion that the results will vary depending on the person trying the product. The whitening product didin’t work for you? You must be one of the unlucky minority for whom this product is less than successful.

The whole teeth whitening business has been a crapshoot over the past few years, but there has recently been a new website that has called on consumers to voice their reviews on products, calling out those they believe are selling worthless products. Basically, they’re calling “scam” on the teeth whitening companies. The site you need to go to is Teeth Whitening Reviews which covers the entire spectrum of teeth whitening products available.

Not only that, there is some very interesting reading, particularly on the subject of the proliferation of review sites on the Internet that have been found to have been created by the manufacturers of some of the undocumented teeth whitening products. The site names products that are believed to be scams as well as the fake review sites.

This is a web-site that anyone thinking of buying teeth whitening products on the Internet should visit first, just to arm yourself with some vital information.

Check with your dentist about the products you’re thinking of trying before you actually shell out your hard earned. If your dentist hasn’t heard of the product then it is very likely that it is a scam.

The step by step application process sounds similar to a number of other products in use and are as follows:

• The teeth and gums are cleaned and dried by the dentist before a protective layer is placed on the gums.
• The special Smartbleach red gel is applied to the teeth.
• Each tooth is then exposed to the laser light for around 30 seconds. According to the advertising the patient should either feel a slight tingling sensation or nothing at all.
• The gel is then removed and the mouth is rinsed out.
• This process is repeated for three applications with the entire treatment taking from 1 to 1-1/4 hours.
• Finally the teeth are given a fluoride treatment activated by the Smartbleach laser to protect them and build up resistance against decay.

Although it sounds similar, the technology behind the Smartbleach process is subtly different. The Smartbleach laser produces a light from the green color spectrum which is then applied to a red gel. The gel is a non-acidic preparation of hydrogen peroxide. The idea is that the complementary colors of the laser and the gel interact to reach large, light absorbing molecules in the teeth which are changed into smaller molecules. A photo–chemical reaction takes place. The laser and gel penetrate through the outer enamel and into the dentin layer. The smaller molecules give more light reflective surface to the teeth. The result is whiter teeth.

For the majority of patients, a single treatment is all that is needed and the teeth won’t need another whitening treatment for years. Cost in Australia for a Smartbleach treatment is around $900.

A consultation with a Smartbleach approved dentist is recommended to decide whether this kind of teeth whitening treatment is suitable for your teeth.

The lozenge appears to be a relief to those with sensitive gums who might find it painful to have the dentist remove tartar that has been untreated. The SorbayMTC Lozenge works by enhancing the natural effectiveness of the mouth’s saliva to fight bacteria so that the mouth contains more antibacterial properties than when the typical mouthwashes and rinses are used.

The active ingredients in SorbayMTC are naturally occurring, ingredients such as tannic acid, citric acid and sodium lauryl sulfate.

The dual properties achieved with SorbayMTC of teeth whitening as well as oral cleansing maks this product quite an interesting one and worthy of further follow up.

To get maximum benefit from the lozenge you need to suck it a little differently to the way you would suck a throat lozenge. Because you are trying to promote maximum benefit to your teeth you need to hold the lozenge just in front of just behind the bottom teeth, slowly swishing the saliva back and forth across the teeth. An important aspect to pay attention to is the location of the lozenge in the mouth throughout the dissolving process. It’s only natural that the lozenge will move to the position between the cheek and the gum. This is an inappropriate position for this kind of lozenge and should be moved back to the lower teeth position.

According to the Bon Mange website, depending on the extent of the tartar build up, the removal of existing tartar deposits typically takes 7-14 days.

Methods of sedation dentistry may involve local anesthesia. This is the most common method of pain relief and starts off with a numbing gel before an injection is administered which will numb the area sufficiently to allow the procedure to take place. The effects of the anesthesia may last from 5 minutes to a few hours. The next most common form of sedation is nitrous oxide which is also known as laughing gas. Nitrous oxide is inhaled by the patient that gives the patient a feeling of lightheadedness almost immediately. There are currently studies being conducted to assess the possibilities of combining hypnosis with the use of nitrous oxide to deepen the calming effect of the gas.

Other forms of sedation dentistry used by dentists are not quite so commonly practiced but are becoming more the way of the future. Oral conscious sedation involves a pill which is administered before treatment to send the patient into a drowsy state. The patient never loses consciousness but their awareness is diminished to the point where they are in a calm, relaxed state.

For more serious surgery it may be necessary to use a general anesthetic to render the patient completely unconscious. The effects of a general anesthetic may last for hours but once the patient has regained consciousness they are usually allowed to leave the surgery from 2 to 4 hours after treatment.

Bordering on the conscious and unconscious state is a process known as intravenous sedation which may also be referred to as conscious sedation. In this case the patient will have no memory of the procedure even though they are awake throughout it and can respond to the dentist if necessary. It is administered by a specialist who is stays with the dentist during the procedure.

Sedation dentistry depends on the kind of surgery that is required as well as the patient that is about to undertake the surgery and their level of discomfort or apprehension. The dentist will discuss what is appropriate with his patient what action is best.

Not all dentists perform sedation dentistry so you will have to do some homework in order to find a qualified sedation dentist before contacting them to get more details about their qualifications. You will want to discuss the nature of your fears and anxieties with the dentists so they can cater to your needs. Cosmetic dentistry doesn’t have to be a painful affair and sedation dentistry should give you the assurance to go ahead that you need.

A recent ABC article cites an oral surgeon who is disturbed by the trend of using the technique saying that many dentists are not trained to deal with the complications.

“These drugs can depress respiration and depress cardiovascular activity,” said Pollan, DMD, MS, oral maxillofacial surgeon, Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, N.Y.

“It’s very easy for a patient to slip from moderate to deep by adding additional medications, and before you know it, you have a patient that’s over-sedated and in trouble”

Oral sedation has been used for everything from routine cleanings to fillings and root canals. Dentists must go through a minimum of 24 hours of training in sedating patients and 10 clinical experiences administering the medications. Most patients are not put completely to sleep but rather are in a semi-conscious state.

For patients who are deathly afraid of visiting the dentist, it would seem that any perceived risks of sedation dentistry are far outweighed by the fear of sitting in that dentist chair without any kind of chemical assistance.

The cost of undergoing conscious oral sedation dentistry can run up to $500.