The Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Dental Association or ADA has been following closely the development of whitening products. And the demand for these products is increasing greatly. ADA recognizes the importance of setting down standard definitions when talking about tooth whitening products.
Whitening, for example, us the process that will render the teeth whiter or atleast make it appear whiter. There are 2 ways that can achieve this. One is actually changing the natural tooth color, making it whiter. Bleaching products contain peroxide which not only removes surface or extrinsic discoloration but also the acts to penetrate the deep or intrinsic stains. On the other hand, non-bleaching products only have agents that only remove surface stains by chemical or physical action.
These products can be dispensed and/or administered by a dentist or bought by the patient directly from a drugstore, which is called over-the-counter products. All of these can be divided into 2 major groups.
Peroxide-containing whiteners or bleaching agents
Whitening products and for home-use OTC products carrying the ADA Seal of Acceptance contain 10%...