Safety issues when using carbamide peroxide to bleach vital teeth--a review of the literature

Hydrogen Peroxide is used to bleach discoloured teeth but since its introduction in the late nineteenth century there have been concerns about its safety and efficacy. This paper reviews the literature on hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide and assesses if these products can be recommended for clinical use. The authors used a Medline search to find the literature for review and from these the findings were divided into laboratory, animal and human studies. In conclusion no dental treatment is without risk but from the evidence it seems that bleaching teeth is comparatively safe.