FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1997
CONTACT:
Chris Martin; [email protected]
Jann Ingmire; [email protected]
312/440/2806
In-Office Tooth Bleaching a Growing Trend
CHICAGO - While dentist-dispensed, at-home tooth bleaching is the most
common tooth lightening procedure, dentists are developing new in-office
procedures that may be improvements on existing bleaching methods,
according to a report in a supplement to the Journal of the American
Dental Association (JADA).
A report by Dr. David Garber, a private care dentist and a clinical
professor at the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry,
suggests that combining in-office power bleaching with dentist-dispensed
at home whitening trays may provide both immediate tooth shade
lightening and longer-lasting effects. He also points out that the new
cosmetic laser bleaching may provide a quick and longer-lasting solution
for some.
The combination of power bleaching and dentist-dispensed bleaching is
accomplished by treating the teeth for 30 minutes with a concentrated
formula of hydrogen peroxide and then providing two weeks of treatment
for 30 minutes each day at home. In-office power bleaching is
characterized by rapid lightening using a high concentration of hydrogen
peroxide (usually 30-35 percent) that is activated by heat and light.
Patients wear a rubber dam to protect their soft tissues from the high
concentration of hydrogen peroxide.
"While in-office power bleaching alone can be quick and dramatic, the
patient often must come back for multiple treatments because the
original stains or shade may return," said Dr. Garber. The combination
of power bleaching with a 30-minute per day, every-other-day at-home
bleaching schedule can achieve the most rapid and predictable results,
he contends.
New laser bleaching may also be an option for some patients who want
dramatic whitening effects quickly, Dr. Garber reports. Recently
approved by the Food and Drug Administration for marketing as a light
source, lasers have garnered a great deal of attention in the consumer
press. The ADA's Council on Scientific Affairs at its January meeting
issued a call to manufacturers for clinical data proving that laser
bleaching is safe and effective.
Dr. Garber points out that lasers used for lightening teeth do not
bleach teeth, they merely create a reaction when the hydrogen peroxide
comes in contact with the laser's beam. It is this reaction that begins
to lighten teeth.
"At this stage, there is little research that proves that any of these
approaches are more effective than traditional bleaching methods," he
reports.
Dr. Garber presented his findings at "The International Symposium on
the Non-Restorative Treatment of Discolored Teeth," held last fall at
the School of Dentistry of the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill and supported by Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals.
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