Clinical evaluation of a combined in-office and take-home bleaching system

BACKGROUND: Tooth whitening is one of the fastest growing areas in cosmetic and restorative dentistry. An increasing number of patients are demanding faster ways to bleach their teeth. Therefore, clinicians are being pushed to seek quicker and easier means to bleach their patients' teeth, while maintaining safety in bleaching procedures. METHODS: The authors included in the clinical trial 10 subjects 18 years of age or older, each of whom had six caries-free maxillary anterior teeth without restorations on the labial surfaces and no tooth sensitivity. For each subject, one-half of the maxillary arch received a 35 percent hydrogen peroxide (Group 1) gel application for 30 minutes, and the other one-half of the maxillary arch received a 38 percent hydrogen peroxide (Group 2) gel application for 30 minutes. The in-office bleaching treatment was maintained and reinforced using a 10 percent carbamide peroxide at-home bleaching agent for 60 minutes. Subjects repeated both the in-office and take-home bleaching treatments for three consecutive days. RESULTS: The shade change was 8.5 for Group 1 and 9 for Group 2. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P = .3434). An average shade rebound of two shades was recorded at seven days for both treatment systems. No sensitivity was reported during or after the bleaching treatment. CONCLUSIONS: When combined with 10 percent carbamide peroxide at-home applications, use of the Group 1 and Group 2 bleaching materials resulted in significant tooth lightening. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: By using the clinical technique presented, clinicians can reduce the time required to complete tooth-whitening treatment. Using the correct tray design and improved chemical formulations of tooth whiteners may reduce gingival and tooth sensitivity, thus increasing safety.