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Making the World a Gentler Place, One Smile at a Time.™
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Toll Free: 1-877-243-6853 |
Making the World a Gentler Place, One Smile at a Time.™ |
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See GentleWhite Products featured in the March, 2006 Issue of:
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GentleWhite is the first and only dental bleaching agent that attacks the issue of bleaching discomfort at a fundamental, chemical level. Here’s how: There are literally hundreds of dental whitening formulations available today. In one way or another, they all acknowledge causing gingival burning and tooth sensitivity. Yet each one claims to do so less than the others. The fact is, all of these preparations use either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide (which breaks down to form hydrogen peroxide, albeit at a lower concentration) as its active ingredient. And peroxide burns when it contacts gingival tissue and causes sensitivity when it penetrates the enamel, finding its way to the nerves along the fluid paths supplied by the dentinal tubules. No one disputes the effectiveness of peroxide as a bleaching agent, and, the higher the concentration of peroxide, the more effective the agent is. So, if we are to continue to use peroxides as bleaching agents, we must either: Hydrogen peroxide: The cause of discomfort in dental bleaching. Teeth bleaching using hydrogen peroxide began in the late nineteenth century. During the early part of the twentieth century it was mixed with other bleaching agents, such as hydrochloric acid. But, since the early 1970’s, H2O2 is the sole active ingredient of choice for dental bleaching. H2O2 is acidic. It is this acidity that causes the burning, sensitivity and discomfort associated with dental bleaching. Many dentists today simply accept discomfort as a necessary by-product of the bleaching process, administering analgesics, such as ibuprofen, before and after bleaching procedures, Commercial production of hydrogen peroxide now utilizes a process based on the auto-oxidation of anthraquinones. The degradation by-products of this reaction are typically acidic. Depending on subsequent purification steps, this will typically result in a more acidic product than suggested in the table below and add significantly to the acidity of the product. pH of unstabilized H2O2 varies with concentration, as shown below:
Because H2O2 solutions are generally more stable at low pH, some producers may add mineral acids (e.g., phosphoric or nitric acids) to further lower the pH - either in the production process or afterwards. The water used to prepare commercial solutions of H2O2 is generally of very high quality (i.e., deionized, with low acidity), and so does not significantly affect the true pH of the product. Most commercial solutions of H2O2 contain stabilizers (chelating and sequestering agents) which have been added to minimize decomposition of the product through transport and storage. While some stabilizers are alkaline, most are acidic and exhibit buffering properties which add acidity to the product. The amount and type of stabilizers varies between producers, product grades, and H2O2 concentration. Electronic and Reagent grades are more pure (less stabilizers, less acidity) while Dilution and Cosmetic grades have among the highest levels of stabilizers. Consequently, it is not possible to state with any certainty the pH of commercial H2O2 solutions. However, it is likely that the apparent pH will be pH 4-5 for the more dilute products (3-10% H2O2) and pH 1-4 for the more concentrated products (35-70% H2O2). How does GentleWhite bleach effectively and not cause burning or sensitivity? The chemistry in GentleWhite stabilizes the hydrogen peroxide, raises solution pH to between 7.0 and 8.0, and forms an aqueous barrier that effectively diminishes the penetration of hydrogen peroxide into the gingival tissues, while selectively allowing the hydroxyl radicals to penetrate the enamel for rapid tooth whitening. It’s only natural that dentists will want to know how this barrier allows bleaching to take place so effectively without causing tissue burning. Because they are trade secrets, the details of the chemistry involved in this process must necessarily be held confidential. But, superficially, this is what happens: GentleWhite uses a two-part mix. The ingredients in each part are isolated from each other during storage, as, once the contents of the two are combined, the solution is activated and active life drops to a matter of hours. In the case of the VHP (Variant Hydrogen Peroxide) In-Office formulation, the contents of the two parts are mixed by the dental practitioner, then the mixture applied by way of a single-barrel, non-invasive syringe. In the Take-Home Whitener the components are mixed dynamically from a dual-barreled syringe fitted with an automix nozzle, in which is embedded a helical implement which effectively combines the contents of the tubes to an approximate 50/50 mix. In each case, one part of the mix contains a high concentration of H2O2 with a pH ranging between 3.9 and 4.8. The other part contains a number of ingredients, one of which is a formulation that extracts moisture form the gingival to form its own soft-tissue barrier. Other ingredients include an active pH balancer, flavorings, and humectants that replace some of the water that is extracted from the gingival. Gingival cells are predominantly water, whereas teeth contain very little water. GentleWhite uses a proprietary technology called Extracted Aqueous Barrier (EAB), which creates its own barrier which is chemically repellent to H2O2. With bleaches that do not have EAB, paint-on barriers are used with some success to prevent gingival burning. However, this process adds to both cost and patient discomfort in the time required to apply the barrier. What’s more, imperfect application can still result in burning. A far more impressive aspect of EAB is its ability to prevent tooth sensitivity. Dentine, the layer of the tooth just under the enamel, is composed of dentinal tubules which form fluid paths between the enamel and the nerves. If H2O2 penetrates the enamel and contacts the dentinal tubules, it follows the fluid path to the nerve and tooth sensitivity occurs. However, since water is always present in these tubules, EAB forms its barrier preventing H2O2 from flowing between the inside of the enamel and the tubules. No paint-on dam or other prophylaxis can do this. So why doesn’t this prevent the teeth from being bleached? Because teeth contain relatively little water, virtually no barrier forms on the teeth, allowing H2O2 to penetrate the tooth structure and form the radicals that bleach the enamel. Essentially, GentleWhite takes advantage of the very condition that causes sensitivity to prevent it. This is the innovation that makes GentleWhite truly different from other H2O2 bleaching formulations.
Certain information in this report was supplied by U.S. Peroxide Corp.
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