Opalescence Teeth Whitening Gel

Have you ever seen a teeth whitening advertisement? If you haven't been living under a rock for the past 5 years, you're sure to have seen at least one or two. They're in the magazines, on the radio, on the television and on the Internet. Many manufacturers are so sure that their product is going to give you a white smile and make you happy, that they are dealing out free samples of their product like it's candy or something.

Most people know by now that the most impressive whitening results come from the products that use a carbamide peroxide based gel. Sure, you might make your teeth 1 or 2 shades whiter by using a whitening toothpaste and/or mouthwash, but the real results are accomplished through the use of hydrogen peroxide, a compound of carbamide peroxide.

One of the most well known gels is the Opalescence teeth whitening gel. This gel, like many others, is based on hydrogen peroxide. Once the gel is applied to the teeth it comes into contact with moistness and it starts its chemical reaction. During the chemical reaction, the hydrogen peroxide is absorbed by your teeth's enamel. This is where the stains are in, so this is where they must be broken down.

Opalescence whitening gel is extremely aggressive stuff. It has a very high concentration of hydrogen peroxide. It is around 38% and this is not to be taken lightly. When you whiten your teeth using some kind of home remedy such as baking soda whitening, then you will be using a solution that is about 3% hydrogen peroxide. But 38% is more than 10 times more. You can easily do serious damage to your teeth's enamel with high concentrations such as this.

The reaction of the gel can optionally be accelerated by using a so called 'curing light'. This is standard dentist equipment and this light can never harm you.

Don't ever let a whitening gel damage your enamel. All whitening gels damage your enamel just a little bit, but this is normal. It the damage is small, your enamel will quickly regenerate. But enamel that has been damaged too much, will never recover from it. Since enamel is very important for the protection of your teeth, you'd better be careful not to ruin it. You're going to be stuck with hyper sensitive teeth forever if you do!

Your dentist will probably know what he's doing. If you would feel more comfortable if he would use another gel, simply ask him. Discuss the possibilities and make a well informed decision together.