Clinical Efficacy of Four In-Office Vital Tooth Bleaching Products with Different Concentrations of Hydrogen Peroxide: A Randomized, Quadruple-Blind Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Dental bleaching has become an everyday procedure for treating teeth presenting discoloration, as a therapy on its own or as a part of restorative dentistry. The most widely used bleaching products available for vital teeth are hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide, marketed as a range of products adapted to different treatment modes. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical whitening efficacy of four high-concentration bleaching products for vital teeth applied in single in-office sessions. Methods: This clinical trial included 40 patients divided into four groups according to the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide-based (HP) product used (Group 1: HP 35%; Group 2: HP 37.5%; Group 3: HP 38%; Group 4: HP 40%). Each patient received one in-office whitening treatment of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth (incisors, canines, and premolars), making a total of 791 teeth. The color changes produced in central incisors and canines were measured. Results: All groups underwent significant color changes from initial to final evaluations for color parameters L*, a*, and b*. No significant differences between the four groups were found for either the L* or a* parameters. Analysis of the b* parameter found significant differences between the HP 38% group and the HP 35% group. No significant differences in ΔE were found between the four groups (ANOVA p = 0.174). HP 38% obtained the highest ΔE (4.63), while HP 40% obtained 4.01. Conclusions: A single in-office whitening session, regardless of the bleaching product used, modifies tooth color effectively. All four products achieved increases in the L* parameter and significant reductions in parameters a* and b*. The ΔE did not show significant differences between the four groups. In-office whitening with high concentration hydrogen-peroxide-based products was found to be an effective treatment for moderate and severe dental discoloration.