Evaluation of dental bleaching protocols modified by light sources

Abstract

Introduction: Tooth whitening is the most common cosmetic procedure performed in dental offices. The use of light sources has been recommended to accelerate the action of the whitening gel, however scientific evidence is controversial with regard to these sources. Objective: Evaluate tooth whitening protocols modified by light sources, aiming to verify, what is the influence of these sources in the tooth whitening procedure. Methodology: This being a research that used biological material, it was submitted and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of UEPB. Teeth were obtained through a partnership with the Human Teeth Bank of the Dentistry course at UEPB Campus VIII. Subsequently, teeth identification was performed, followed by initial registration of tooth color, preparation of dental blocks and selection of groups. The teeth were submitted to two different whitening protocols. Finally, statistical analysis was performed. Results: The modification of the protocol, both in terms of the application time of the bleaching agent and in terms of the light source used, achieves satisfactory results. There was no statistically significant difference between groups. Conclusions: In view of the results and the discussion found in the research, we can see that the scientific evidence leads us to observe that there are not enough bases to prove the effectiveness and short-term benefits of modifying the teeth whitening protocols by light sources.