What type of whitener do dentists use when performing professional teeth whitening treatments?
Dentists usually purchase the professional teeth whiteners they use as a part of a bleaching kit or system. The precise composition of each manufacturer’s whitener will vary but usually these products contain hydrogen peroxide at a concentration between 15 and 50%. In comparison, at-home teeth whiteners usually contain the equivalent of 3 to 10% hydrogen peroxide. This difference in peroxide concentration is why professional teeth whitening treatments can achieve whitening results much more rapidly. Manufacturers usually try to formulate their bleaching gels so they have a neutral pH (are non-acidic). This is because teeth are mineralized tissues and placing an acidic whitener on a tooth’s surface for an extended period of time could damage it. It is commonplace that professional teeth whiteners will come prepackaged as two individual components. These components are then mixed by the dentist at the time of use. Usually one of the components is termed the “activator.” The idea is that
