Concerns around the possible carcinogenic nature of tooth whitening chemicals is running rampant on the internet, based on completely unsubstantiated facts.
Internet fear mongering has reached an all-time high, with different walks of life claiming to have information on products that they do not understand properly, like carbamides and other tooth whitening products. Sometimes this is a part of a larger conspiracy (like “big pharma” causing customers to be sick so they can sell medicine to them), and sometimes it is due to some holistic knowledge that only the original poster and their immediate following or sect knows about and understands (and the rest of us ‘sheeple’ need to wake up, and fast). Obviously this is all a hoax, as carbamides do NOT cause cancer or any sort of damage to the soft tissues. But with each conspiracy theory, you will always find a grain of truth. What is the grain of truth behind this one?
In recent years, ammonium and peroxide based tooth whitening treatments have been made illegal in the EU. Before, all tooth whitening methods used these kinds of chemicals to remove stains from teeth, as they are super effective, very corrosive, and are relatively safe for your health. The problem is that they aren’t safe enough, and can cause cancer if exposed to the soft tissues of the mouth. For this reason, they have been banned, and the dental industry scrambled to find a proper substitute: one that is equally effective, but not carcinogenic. They have found this replacement years ago in carbamides.
Unlike peroxide and ammonium, carbamides are much milder, much less corrosive, and a little bit less effective too. Although they can remove the same amount of stains from teeth, they usually take more time to do so. They are completely safe though, and according to a study involving 4000 people done by Dr Ian Monroe, absolutely do NOT contribute to the emergence of oral cancer. Until information to the contrary is made known, there is no reason to believe that it does.