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Carbamide peroxide
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| Systematic (IUPAC) name | |
| hydrogen peroxide; urea | |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | |
| ATC code | ? |
| PubChem | |
| Chemical data | |
| Formula | CH6N2O3 |
| Mol. mass | 94.07 g·mol−1 |
| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Bioavailability | ? |
| Metabolism | ? |
| Half life | ? |
| Excretion | ? |
| Therapeutic considerations | |
| Pregnancy cat. |
C(US) |
| Legal status | |
| Routes | topical (teeth or mouth) |
Carbamide peroxide, also called urea peroxide, urea hydrogen peroxide, and percarbamide, is an oxidising agent, consisting of hydrogen peroxide compounded with urea. The molecular formula is CH6N2O3, or CH4N2O.H2O2. It is a white crystalline solid that releases oxygen in contact with water.
The chemical is a skin, eye and respiratory irritant. It is also corrosive and causes burns. It doesn't hurt at 10% concentration (3% hydrogen peroxide equivalent) but it might hurt at 35% (12% equivalent), causing white chemical burns on skin and gums alike.
Pure carbamide peroxide has the form of white crystals or crystal powder, is slightly soluble in water (0.05 g/mL)1, and contains approximately 35% hydrogen peroxide.
Uses
Carbamide peroxide is used to
- whiten teeth2 3;
- relieve minor inflammation of gums, oral mucosal surfaces and lips including canker sores and dental irritation4; and to
- emulsify and disperse ear wax.4
Carbamide peroxide is commonly encountered in cosmetic dentistry, where it is used to "bleach" teeth. The active ingredient is hydrogen peroxide, which acts to oxidise interprismatic extrinsic staining within tooth enamel. There are several methods of applying the peroxide gel to the tooth ranging from night-guard application at home or in-surgery application. The bleaching obtained is proportional to the length of time the peroxide is applied to the tooth, and the concentration used. The concentration most commonly used for tooth whitening purposes is 15%.
A 10% solution in glycerol is used to treat ulcers and other lesions in the mouth.
A 6.5% concentration solution is used to loosen and remove earwax.
References
- ^ Sigma-Aldrich specification sheet
- ^ "A CLINICAL EVALUATION OF CARBAMIDE PEROXIDE AND HYDROGEN PEROXIDE WHITENING AGENTS DURING DAYTIME USE". American Dental Association.
- ^ Toothwhitening from the UMD of New Jersey website
- ^ a b Center for Integrative Medicine: Carbamide Peroxide from the University of Maryland Medical Center website
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 14 September 2008, at 19:33.
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