PAP: What Is It and Should Your Teeth Whitening Products Use It?

Do you ever wonder, what is it about teeth whitening products that turn my teeth whiter than they were? At Novashine, we use Hydrogen Peroxide as our main ingredient for achieving white teeth just like most dentists do! However, there have been many new chemicals and ingredients that people and brands now like to experiment with and use into their whitening products. One of those ingredients is Phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid, also known as PAP. 

What is PAP?

So, what is PAP? PAP stands for Phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid; which in short, is a synthetic organic peroxy acid mainly used as a bleaching activator, and now also as a teeth whitening agent. PAP is used as a bleaching activator for teeth whitening by whitening the discolored molecules that are in your teeth. 

What is PAP used in? 

Most people don’t know this but PAP can probably be found near you! The bleaching activator in PAP is commonly used as a whitening agent in laundry detergent, which you can find at home! But now PAP isn’t only used as a whitening agent for detergent, it can also be found in some teeth whitening options. It is a relatively new ingredient for teeth whitening, so only a couple brands use it.

Is PAP a harmful chemical?

Like mentioned before, PAP is a relatively new whitening agent on the market, and only a couple of brands are using it despite it not being fully understood. Because of the short time frame PAP has been on the market, there is no evidence that it does help with teeth whitening, and there are already researches saying that PAP may be harmful for your teeth.  In addition to being potentially harmful to your teeth, PAP can also be flammable, corrosive, and an environmental hazard (“Phthalimidoperoxycaproic Acid”).

Is PAP safe for me to use?

In short, no, PAP isn’t the safest way to whiten your teeth. The British Dental Journal published a study in 2019 that showed that PAP had produced the most damage to teeth in comparison to all other over-the-counter teeth whitening products. PAP was also responsible for creating etching patterns in teeth and the reduction in microhardness, these are all things that potentially affect your enamel.

What is a good alternative I could use to whiten my teeth? 

Novashine’s #1 rated teeth whitening is a great alternative to using products with PAP. Why? Because here at Novashine, we only use dental grade hydrogen-peroxide to not only give you the best teeth whitening results, but also protect and not harm your teeth! Novashine also provides a money back guarantee if you are not happy with the results because we know you will love it!