Table 2.
Summary of product information provided by vendors and shipment of test-purchased teeth bleaching gels available over the internet.
| ID | Product namea | Website domain, category (vendors contact information | Active ingredient and concentration (H2O2 equivalent)b | List of ingredients | Price (+shipping | Delivery information | Efficacy statement | Instructions of use online | Contraindication and adverse effect informationc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Teeth whitening Kit Dental Peroxide whitening KITS With Tooth whitening Pen gel 4 × 3 mL | AliExpress.com global B2C e-commerce (no contact information | 44% peroxide type not indicated | not available on website | 14.2 (+10.5 USD |
delivered in 55 days from the Netherlands | 7-10 shades change | detailed online | No precautionary statements, disclaimer informationa only. “100% Natural, 100% Safe, 100% Effective” and “no teeth sensitivity” |
| B | Teeth whitening 44% Peroxide Dental Bleaching System Gel Kit, gel, 6 × 3ml | AliExpress.com global B2C e-commerce (no contact information | 44% peroxide type not indicated | not available on website | 10.8 (+3.1 USD |
delivered in 37 days from the Netherlands | 7-10 shades change | detailed online | No precautionary statements, disclaimer informationa only. “Premium quality”, “100 safe easy to use” |
| C | Smile Science Harley Street - Professional Teeth Whitening Gel Refill Kit, gel, 2 × 5ml | Amazon.co.uk global B2C e-commerce (no contact information | not available | not available on website | 14.9 (+8.7 USD |
delivered in 7 days from United Kingdom | 8-10 shades in 10 days | no directions online | No precautionary statements, disclaimer informationa. “Gentle and 100% safe for enamel with zero sensitivity and discomfort” |
| D | Bleach refill gel, 1 × 10ml | bleachrefills.co.uk webshop (address, e-mail and phone number available |
44% carbamide peroxide (15.6% H2O2 | not available on website | 21.1 (+0 USD |
delivered in 25 days from California, USA | no referral to shade change | no directions online | No precautionary statements |
| E | ProWhiteSmile Carbamide Peroxide Gel Refill Large gel, 1 × 10ml | prowhitesmile.com webshop (address and phone number available |
22% carbamide peroxide (7.8% H2O2 | not available on website | 15.4 (+3.6 USD |
not delivered | no referral to shade change | no directions online | No precautionary statements. “Gluten free, kosher” “safe for enamel as well as caps, crowns and veneers” |
| F | Expertwhite 44%CP - Extreme Whitening gel, 4 × 3ml | hu-expertwhitegel. glopalstore.com webshop (address and phone number available |
44% carbamide peroxide (15.6% H2O2 | only glycerin mentioned | 85,2 (+17.3 USD |
delivered in 29 days from California, USA | no referral to shade change, “the strongest teeth whitening gel available” | brief, one sentence online | Only pregnancy and breastfeeding warning mentioned. “Safe and non-toxic” |
Commercial name of the product was available only for samples C, E and F, while samples A, B and D were unbranded “generic” products without any commercial name indicated on the website or product label. Manufacturer information was not visible on any delivered product.
Hydrogen peroxide is converted to the equivalent hydrogen peroxide concentration (H2O2) using the 2.82:1 ratio.
Disclaimer information: Websites indicated claims including “the item may be intended for use by professional health care providers only”; or “We recommend that you do not solely rely on the information presented on our website. Please always read the labels, warnings, and directions provided with the product before using or consuming a product.”