Bleaching agents enhance patients' aesthetic perception and psychosocial impact: Study

Recent research suggests that tooth bleaching demonstrated a moderate influence on the oral health-related quality of life in adults, acoording to a study published in the Journal of Dentistry.

The aesthetic self-perception and psychosocial impact of whitening is poorly explored in the literature; it is even less clear whether the effect of whitening may influence the psychology or social relations of patients.

Therefore,Marília LeãoGoettems and colleagues from the Graduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, RS, Brazil conducted this study to investigate the impact of tooth bleaching on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in adults using a randomised clinical trial comparing at-home and in-office bleaching.

The authors studied a total of 130 individuals who were randomly allocated to two groups (n = 65) according to the type of treatment. At-home treatment was performed using 10 % carbamide peroxide (2 h/day; 3 weeks) and an in-office placebo, while 35 % hydrogen peroxide was used for in-office (1/week; 3 weeks) and an at-home placebo. Colour was assessed using the CIELAB system using a digital spectrophotometer. Objective and subjective colour change was estimated by calculating CIEDE2000 (ΔE00) and shade guide units (ΔSGU), respectively.