The most common reason for seeking orthodontic care is to improve the overall appearance of the face by realigning the structure of the teeth. Orthodontists are becoming more and more popular as the population continues to strive for a more beautiful, aesthetically pleasing smile. A beautiful smile in today’s society consists of having teeth that are brighter, whiter, and straighter. Teeth like these are usually representative of a person who is young, healthy, and physically attractive. The discoloration of enamel is an aesthetic problem that can be treated through a variety of methods including professional bleaching with either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide.
Orthodontists use braces to align and help straighten teeth. Although
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There are two procedures people can choose from to attain a brighter smile: whitening and bleaching. According to the FDA, the term "bleaching" is for products that can whiten teeth beyond their natural color. This applies to products that have active ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. The term "whitening" is used to describe the process of restoring teeth to their natural color by removing stains from the tooth’s surface. Bleaching products contain one of two active ingredients called ether hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Both hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide are effective whitening ingredients. Carbamide peroxide is a larger, more complex molecule and has about 1/3 the strength of hydrogen peroxide. In other words, 30% carbamide peroxide has about the same strength as 10% hydrogen peroxide. The other difference is that hydrogen peroxide works faster, but carbamide peroxide is more stable and yields better long-term results because the oxygen release is slower and more stable. The peroxides are activated to release oxygen molecules that enter the enamel micro-fractures to break down stain pigmentation. This release of oxygen can occur over time or