article_snippet.sent: The active ingredient in most professional whitening products is hydrogen peroxide, in gel form.
article_snippet.sent: In October 2012, an EU council directive made an EU council directive illegal in Britain to use hydrogen peroxide — which can cause sensitivity and burning when applied too often or at too high a dose — in concentrations above 6 per cent, and decreed any concentration over 0.1 per cent could be administered only by a dental professional.
article_snippet.sent: Teresa isn’t sure how strong this hydrogen peroxide was, or indeed even if this hydrogen peroxide was hydrogen peroxide.
article_snippet.sent: Many use chlorine dioxide — a strong antibacterial chemical sometimes found in swimming pools — which is easier to get hold of, given the Government’s restrictions on hydrogen peroxide.
article_snippet.sent: Increasing numbers of women are ordering industrial-strength hydrogen-peroxide whitening products online from the U.S., where there are no legal limits on levels.
article_snippet.sent: Donna, 36, a HR manager from Birmingham ordered £55 boxes of 20 whitening strips — fabrics impregnated with 6 per cent hydrogen peroxide gel that users stick to Donna, 36, a HR manager from Birmingham teeth for 45 minutes — from the States.