Teeth whitening gel is a common term that appears when one search for teeth whitening products on the web. Whitening gels have proved to be effective, inexpensive and easy to use teeth whitening products. If you are about to use these products for the first time, it is important to learn about their ingredients, types and effectiveness. Here is a beginner’s guide about teeth whitening gels.

Ingredients of Whitening Gel

The most active ingredient found in whitening gels is a form of peroxide. Carbamide peroxide is the most common form used in these products. It acts as the bleaching agent and is used at the place of previously used teeth bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate and sodium perbromate.

Humectants are other ingredients found in the whitening gels. Propylene glycol is one of the common humectants used in these gels. The main function of these ingredients is to prevent the gel from drying. Fluoride is another ingredient found in these gels, though you must consider gels with minimum amount of fluoride.

Types of Whitening Gels

Teeth whitening gels are available in two types. First are the over-the-counter whitening gels that can be purchased from cosmetic stores. Second are the prescribed whitening gels that are prescribed by an expert in cosmetic dentistry. The two categories of gels differ on the basis of the amount of peroxide present in them and the way of applying them on the teeth.

Over-the-counter gels contain less amount of peroxide and thus they are not much strong and might take longer to show the results. But, they can be conveniently used as home teeth whitening products. Prescribed teeth whitening gels contain higher percentage of peroxide and thus are more effective. These gels can either be applied at home or in office by the professional dentist.

The trays used for applying these gels to the teeth are not custom made in the case of over-the-counter gels. As a result, you can’t expect good results out of them. On the other hand, prescribed teeth whitening gels have trays that are tailor made for the specific shape and size of the user’s teeth. In terms of price, over-the-counter whitening gels are less expensive than the prescribed whitening gels.

Choosing Right Whitening Gels

The first consideration while purchasing teeth whitening gels is to choose among the over-the-counter and prescribed gels. For fast and more effective results, you must choose the prescribed gels. Besides, there are some other factors that must be considered as well:

  • Consider the ingredients present in the gel to ensure that they are not abrasive for your teeth, especially if you have sensitive teeth or any other type of tooth problem.
  • Next, you must consider the brand name of the whitening gels so that you purchase the reliable products from a reputed company.
  • Learn about the time taken by different whitening gels to whiten teeth. Finally, consider the price of the gel.

You must know that results from teeth whitening gels may vary from one person to another. However, these gels are inexpensive and thus popular among the teeth whitening candidates.