Assessment of efficacy and post-bleaching sensitivity of home bleaching using 10% carbamide peroxide in extended and non-extended bleaching trays

• Published in: British dental journal Vol. 218; no. 10; pp. 579 - 582
• Main Authors: Morgan, S., Jum'ah, A. A., Brunton, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 22.05.2015; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/700/3032/3065; 692/700/3032/3099/3100/3101; 692/700/3032/3099/3100/3102; Adolescent; Adult; Dentin Sensitivity - etiology; Dentistry; Female; Home Care Services; Humans; Male; Medicine; Middle Aged; Peroxides - adverse effects; Peroxides - therapeutic use; Tooth Bleaching - adverse effects; Tooth Bleaching - methods; Tooth Bleaching Agents - adverse effects; Tooth Bleaching Agents - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome; Urea - adverse effects; Urea - analogs & derivatives; Urea - therapeutic use; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0007-0610; 1476-5373
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2015.391

Key Points Considers the benefits of home bleaching as part of a patient's overall treatment plan. Describes the innovative use of a practice-based research project to answer a commonly asked question with respect to bleaching tray design. Discusses various bleaching tray designs and their indications. Aim This study aimed to compare the effect of extended margin and conventional bleaching trays on tooth bleaching and tooth sensitivity. Method and methods Twenty subjects (18–56 years) were investigated in a split arch design clinical study that was conducted in a general dental practice. Each subject received a custom made bleaching tray and 10% carbamide peroxide gel. The bleaching trays had the borders extended 5 mm beyond the gingival margins on the right side and finished just at the gingival margin on the left side. Shade change and tooth sensitivity were the primary outcomes studied and analysed in this study. The shade of the six upper and lower anterior teeth was assessed using a value-ordered shade guide before, one week and two weeks after treatment. Sensitivity was self-assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) at the end of the first and second weeks of the study. Results At the end of week two, the mean shade change was 5.01 (± 3.37) and 5.10 (± 3.36) for teeth covered by extended and non-extended tray design, respectively. The mean VAS sensitivity scores for teeth covered by extended and non-extended tray design were 0.96 (± 1.39) and 0.66 (± 0.96), respectively. There was no significant statistical difference between the two designs at any assessment point with regard to shade change and sensitivity (p >0.05). Conclusions It can be concluded that an extended tray design confers no superior effect in terms of the whitening outcome achieved or in reducing levels of sensitivity. Thus, both tray designs can be used depending on a dentist's personal preference.