Nightguard vital bleaching of tetracycline-stained teeth: 54 months post treatment.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this longitudinal whitening study was to determine the stability, post-treatment side effects, and patient satisfaction after 6 months of active treatment of tetracycline-stained teeth with 10% carbamide peroxide at 0 and 54 months post treatment.


METHODS
Twelve patients who completed the study (80%) were contacted and asked to participate in a survey concerning their whitening experience. Subjects were asked whether there had been any change in the shade of their teeth after treatment, and if they had experienced any side effects that they believed were treatment-related. Eight of the twelve patients underwent clinical examination.


RESULTS
Ten patients (83%) reported no obvious shade change or only a slight darkening not noticed by others. Two (17%) reported a slight darkening that is probably noticeable by other people, but no one reported moderate darkening or significant darkening back to original shade. All respondents (n = 12) denied having to have a crown or root canal that they believed was treatment-related. Examiners who compared preoperative and post-treatment photographs and Vita shade values were in agreement with the patient's perceptions of shade change. The degree of improvement was significant for both the immediate (0 mo) and the 54-month post-treatment comparison with the pretreatment shade (p < .005 and p < .01 respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Results of this nightguard vital bleaching study indicate that tetracycline-stained teeth can be whitened successfully using extended treatment time, and that shade stability may last at least 54 months after treatment. Patients who participated in this study were overwhelmingly positive about the procedure in terms of shade retention and lack of post-treatment side effects.
Leonard
R H
RH
Department of Diagnostic Sciences and General Dentistry, University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, Chapel Hill, USA. Ralph_Leonard@dentistry.unc.edu
Haywood
V B
VB
Eagle
J C
JC
Garland
G E
GE
Caplan
D J
DJ
Matthews
K P
KP
Tart
N D
ND
D000077463:Carbamide Peroxide; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010545:Peroxides; D013754:Tetracyclines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014073:Tooth Bleaching; D014075:Tooth Discoloration / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000628:therapy*; D014508:Urea / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
D004338:Drug Combinations; D010545:Peroxides; D013754:Tetracyclines; D000077463:Carbamide Peroxide; D014508:Urea