Tooth Whitening Compositions and Methods

A method of whitening a tooth surface, the method comprising contacting a surface of a tooth with an efficacious amount of a bleaching composition,

• wherein the bleaching composition is one of
• a bleaching composition comprising a substantially non-cytotoxic first bleaching agent, at least a second bleaching agent, and an aqueous medium, wherein the first bleaching agent is chlorine dioxide, and the composition comprises an efficacious amount of bleaching agents;
• or
• a bleaching composition comprising chlorine dioxide and at least a second bleaching agent, wherein:
• i) the cytotoxicity of the bleaching composition is about equal to or less than the cytotoxicity of a composition comprising no chlorine dioxide and a sufficient quantity of the at least second bleaching agent to have comparable bleaching efficacy;
• ii) the bleaching composition is associated with soft oral tissue irritation about equal to or less irritation than associated with a composition comprising no chlorine dioxide and a sufficient quantity of the at least second bleaching agent to have comparable bleaching efficacy;
• or
• iii) the bleaching composition is associated with hard tooth tissue damage about equal to or less than the damage associated with a composition comprising no chlorine dioxide and a sufficient quantity of the at least second bleaching agent to have comparable bleaching efficacy.