Susceptibility to carieslike lesions after dental bleaching with different techniques.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the influence of dental bleaching on the susceptibility of developing carieslike lesions.


METHODS
Enamel slabs obtained from recently extracted human third molars were submitted to different bleaching techniques: at-home, with 10% and 16% carbamide peroxide (G1 and G2, respectively; Whiteness Perfect); and in-office, with 37% carbamide peroxide (G3; Whiteness Super) and 35% hydrogen peroxide (G4; Whiteness HP), activated by light-emitting diode and laser. The control groups G5 and G6 were not bleached. Afterward, all specimens, with the exception of G6, were exposed to a highly cariogenic challenge by means of pH cycling. G6 served as the control for the artificial caries development methodology. Assessment of the enamel carieslike lesions was made visually by 3 independent examiners, who attributed scores representing the severity of white spot lesions (0 to 3). Statistical analysis was performed with the Kruskal-Wallis (P .001) and multiple paired comparison tests.


RESULTS
Interrater reliability was expressed in a range of 0.70 to 0.82 kappa values. The median scores per group were as follows: G1 and G2 = 1; G3, G4, and G5 = 2; and G6 = 0.


CONCLUSIONS
Home bleaching reduced the susceptibility to dental caries, while in-office bleaching did not influence the development of caries lesions.
Alves
Elcijane Almeida
EA
School of Dentistry, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.
Alves
Fátima Karoline Araújo
FK
Campos
Elisângela de Jesus
Ede J
Mathias
Paula
P
D000077463:Carbamide Peroxide; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility / Q000187:drug effects*; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000187:drug effects*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005459:Fluorides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006244:Hardness / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D015588:Observer Variation; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D010545:Peroxides / Q000494:pharmacology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014073:Tooth Bleaching; D014508:Urea / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D016877:Oxidants; D010545:Peroxides; D000077463:Carbamide Peroxide; D014508:Urea; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D005459:Fluorides