Demineralization effects of 10 percent carbamide peroxide

Objectives: The purpose of this in vitro study was to measure the amount of calcium lost from enamel exposed to a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. Methods: Nine teeth (3 incisors, 2 premolars, 4 molars) were sectioned to serve as paired test and control specimens. Each tooth half was coated with wax, leaving a uniform 3 mm × 4 mm window of exposed enamel. Test specimens were placed in culture tubes with 1.00 ml of deionized water and 0.02 ml of 10% carbamide peroxide for 6 h; controls were exposed to water alone. Calcium concentrations in the solutions were measured using a Perkin-Elmer 5100 atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: Teeth exposed to carbamide peroxide lost an average of 1.06 μg/mm² of calcium. This amount of loss was significantly greater than controls (p < 0.001), according to ANOVA. For comparison, teeth were exposed to a cola beverage for 2.5 min, the time equivalent of drinking a 16 oz. beverage. The amount of calcium lost from these teeth was also about 1 μg/mm². Conclusions: Teeth exposed to 10% carbamide peroxide lost calcium. However, the amount of loss was small, and may not be clinically significant.