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As an XpresSmile business partner or XpresSmile Dealer, you have access to many clinical studies on the benefits and efficacy of teeth bleaching using peroxide and LED lights. XpresSmile subscribes to a number of scientific journals including and has purchased many reports for your use.
Clinical Evaluation of Chemical and Light-Activated Tooth Whitening Lights
The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice
Abstract: Tooth whitening has become one of the most popular cosmetic treatments available. This article compares the efficacy of 4 in-office whitening system lights using a split-arch, randomized, parallel, blinded clinical evaluation study. Both in-office tooth whitening lights were effective and there was no significant statistical difference over the period of observation.
Twenty patients participated in the study. The bleaching gels were all 14 percent H2O2. The 4 lights that are being evaluated is the Brite XL3, the Crystal 1400, the IBrite, and the Zoom2. Patients’ mouths were divided into quadrants with the upper right quadrant using the Brite XL3, the lower right using the I-Brite, the upper left using the Aladdin Wireless Light, and the lower left using Beyond Dental Light. After the treatments were complete, all quadrants brightened equally on 90 percent of the patients studied.
Conclusion: There is no significant difference in the whitening power of the LED lights. All lights brightened equally well.
In 2006 and 2007, several articles were published that evaluated the efficacy of light-activated bleaching lights. One study reported positive results,3 whereas the other articles concluded the opposite.4,5 It is apparent that the dental profession needs more evidence to provide for better and more efficient treatment. The need for more knowledge becomes even more important as manufacturers inundate the dental profession with advertisements promoting light-activated tooth whitening as "state of the art" and propose that it is an integral component of the modern dental office.
Boston--Scientists at The Forsyth Institute have found that blue light can be used to selectively suppress certain bacteria commonly associated with destructive gum disease.
The research, published in the April Journal of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, suggests that light in the blue region of the visible spectrum might be useful in preventing, controlling or treating periodontitis -- an oral infection that can lead to loss of bone and teeth.
"Some of the key bacterial pathogens associated with periodontitis produce and accumulate compounds that are sensitive to light," said Nikos Soukos, DDS PhD, Director of the Forsyth Laboratory of Applied Molecular Photomedicine and the principal investigator. "We found that, when exposed to particular wavelengths of light, a percentage of those pathogens was eradicated within seconds."
Another important finding was that when the proportion of such pathogens was reduced, the proportion of other, potentially helpful, bacteria increased. "This suggests that it might one day be feasible to use light to restore a healthy bacterial balance in the mouth," Soukos said.
The current research stemmed from an observation by Max Goodson DDS, PhD, Director of Clinical Research at Forsyth, that the blue light used in a tooth whitening procedure appeared to decrease inflammation of the gums.
The team is currently developing a hand-held, light-based device that might, one day, be used by consumers to help combat periodontal disease.
If proved effective in clinical trials Goodson said, "Technology employing blue light to improve oral ecology could be the most important advance in maintaining periodontal health since the invention of the toothbrush."
Background Previous Forsyth research had shown that as many as 700 different types of oral bacteria may be found in dental plaque that accumulates on teeth. While some bacteria appear to be benign or even helpful, others may invade and destroy gum tissue and bone -- leading to loss of teeth, and, possibly, to infection elsewhere in the body.
Among the more destructive bacteria are the so-called "black-pigmented bacteria" (BPB) which have been implicated as pathogens associated with periodontitis. Such bacteria accumulate black pigment consisting mainly of organic compounds called porphyrins. Some porphyrins are photosensitive, and, when activated by visible light, induce a photodynamic reaction that kills the microorganism within seconds.
In embarking on their research, Soukos and Goodson knew that other researchers had used lasers to deliver red or green light, which partially inactivated certain oral bacteria. The Forsyth team also knew, from published reports, that porphyrins absorb blue light more readily than light that is red or green.
The team employed a halogen lamp source commonly used for tooth whitening to shine broadband light comprised mainly of blue and a small percentage of green light (wavelengths ranged from 380 to 520 nanometers) on pure cultures of BPB and on dental plaque samples obtained from individuals with chronic periodontitis.
They found that the light rapidly killed BPB in pure cultures and that it selectively eliminated BPB in plaque samples containing 500-600 different bacteria. They also found that certain species were more readily inactivated by the light than others and that varying the intensity and exposure time had different impacts on different species.
The researchers conclude that intraoral light exposure can selectively reduce pathogens in dental plaque.
If proved effective in clinical studies, the findings could lead to new methods for preventing or controlling periodontal disease. Such methods would be rapid, non-invasive, and nontoxic, Soukos said.
Two-week Clinical Trial Comparing an 18% Carbamide Peroxide Paint-on Gel with Hydrogen Peroxide Whitening Strips
I. MAGNUSSON1, M.L. BARKER2, and R.W. GERLACH2, 1 University of Florida, Gainesville, USA, 2 The Procter & Gamble Company, Mason, OH, USA
Objective: This study evaluated the clinical response of a new, peroxide-containing paint-on gel relative to a marketed control having a similar pre-treatment peroxide concentration.
Methods: 32 adults were randomized to Colgate® Simply WhiteTM, an 18% carbamide peroxide paint-on liquid in an applicator bottle, or Crest® Whitestrips®, a 6.0% hydrogen peroxide gel on a whitening strip. Participants were supplied with the manufacturers usage instructions specifying twice daily 30-minute treatment. Efficacy was measured objectively as L*a*b* color change using digital images of the maxillary anterior teeth after 1 & 2 weeks treatment.
Results: All subjects made all visits, and were included in the analysis. Week 1 adjusted means and standard errors for Db* (yellowness) were –0.3 ± 0.12 for the paint-on group compared to –1.6 ± 0.12 for the strip group, while lightness/brightness (DL*) means were 0.3 ± 0.18 and 1.7 ± 0.18 in the paint-on and strip groups, respectively. Outcomes were consistent after 2 weeks, with 94% of strip users and 25% of paint-on users experiencing at least a 1-unit improvement in b*.
All (100%) of strip users and 19% of paint-on users had at least a 1-unit improvement in lightness at Week 2. Between-group comparisons showed highly significant (p < 0.0001) greater color improvement for the strip group compared to the paint-on gel. For Db*, DL* and the composite measures DE* and DW*, one week use of whitening strips resulted in significant (p £ 0.0001) color improvement relative to that seen following two weeks use of the paint-on gel. Both treatments were well tolerated.
Conclusion: One week use of 6.0% whitening strips resulted in superior whitening compared to two-weeks use of an 18% carbamide peroxide paint-on liquid. (This research was sponsored by The Procter & Gamble Co.)
Background. Vital tooth bleaching for esthetic reasons has significantly gained in popularity during the last few years. However, few studies have investigated the efficacy of daytime or 1-hour bleaching products with use of a bleaching light as a catalyst..
