Micro-structural integrity of dental enamel subjected to two tooth whitening regimes

Arch Oral Biol. 2010 Apr;55(4):300-8. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2010.02.009. Epub 2010 Mar 24.

Abstract

Colour modification of tooth enamel has proven successful, but it is unclear how various bleaching applications affect micro-structural integrity of the whitened enamel. To investigate the internal structural integrity of human intact tooth enamel with the application of two commonly used whitening regimes (in-office power bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide and home bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide), evaluations were performed on teeth of identical colour classification. After the bleaching applications, the enamel mineral density was quantified and visualised with micro-computed tomography. The micro-structural differences between the whitened tooth enamel samples were distinctive, though the colour parameter changes within the samples were equivalent. Home bleaching achieved colour modification by demineralisation, whereas in-office bleaching depended on redistribution of the minerals after treatment and subsequent enhanced mineralisation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Carbamide Peroxide
  • Color
  • Dental Enamel / diagnostic imaging
  • Dental Enamel / drug effects*
  • Dental Enamel / ultrastructure
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Peroxides
  • Spectrophotometry
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Surface Properties
  • Tooth Bleaching / methods*
  • Tooth Demineralization / chemically induced
  • Tooth Remineralization
  • Urea / analogs & derivatives
  • X-Ray Microtomography

Substances

  • Peroxides
  • Carbamide Peroxide
  • Urea
  • Hydrogen Peroxide