Effectiveness and Safety of Tooth Bleaching in Teenagers

Resident: Cho
Author(s): Donly et al.
Journal: Pediatric Dentistry
Year. Volume (number). Page #’s: 2005. 27, 298-302
Major topic: Tooth bleaching
Type of Article: Scientific Article

Main Purpose: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of oral hard and soft tissues exposed to tooth whitening in teens following the use of two different tooth bleaching methods.

Methods:
Controlled, randomized, 4-week clinical trial compared two different bleaching systems and regimens:
1. 10% hydrogen peroxide strip system (Crest Whitestrips Premium): 30 minutes twice daily
2. 10% carbamide peroxide tray system (Opalescence) used overnight

The volunteer study population was fifty-seven children (aged 12- to 17- years old) who wished to whiten their teeth. Subjects had to have all permanent anterior teeth erupted and the teeth were required to match a Vita shade guide score of A2 or darker. At baseline, subjects were assigned to either a strip or tray treatment. 45 children were assigned the strip and 12 subjects were assigned the tray-based system.

At baseline, systematic oral hard and soft tissue exam was completed and photographs were taken. Those findings were also taken every appointment thereafter. All subjects, at each appointment, were asked to describe any abnormal feeling or discomfort they experienced.

Findings:
Both treatment groups showed significant tooth-whitening improvement relative to baseline. Clinical response was similar for the 2 groups. Both treatment regimens were generally well tolerated. Minor tooth sensitivity and oral irritation were the most common complaints: 27% (12 patients) of strip group and 42% (5 patients) of tray group complained of these.

Key points/Summary:
1. 10% hydrogen peroxide strip system and 10% carbamide peroxide tray system were equally effective at bleaching teeth over a 4-week period, with both systems producing significant whitening.
2. Each system was well tolerated and most of the reported adverse effects for both products were mild.

Assessment of Article: Did not like that they assigned 3 times more people to the strip group than the tray group. Not an even assessment since numbers between the groups are different.