Alterations in human enamel surface morphology following vital bleaching

Area of Science:

• Dental materials science
• Surface topography analysis
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Professional and at-home bleaching agents are widely used for aesthetic dental treatments.
• Understanding the effects of these agents on tooth enamel surface is crucial for clinical application.
• Previous studies have investigated bleaching agents, but detailed surface topography analysis requires further exploration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of different home and office-based bleaching protocols on human tooth enamel surface topography.
• To compare the surface roughness and waviness of enamel after various bleaching treatments.

Main Methods:

• Extracted human teeth were subjected to three 30-day bleaching protocols: Home 1 (10% carbamide peroxide), Home 2 (10% carbamide peroxide with stannous fluoride gel), and Office (30% hydrogen peroxide).
• Control teeth remained untreated.
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and profilometry were used to analyze enamel surface topography, roughness, and waviness.

Main Results:

• All three bleaching methods induced evident enamel surface alterations.
• Mean surface roughness (microns) was significantly reduced in Home 1 (0.6) and Office (0.6) groups compared to controls (1.9), with Home 2 showing 0.9.
• Surface waviness followed the order: control > office > Home 1 = Home 2.

Conclusions:

• Both home and office bleaching treatments significantly alter human enamel surface topography, affecting roughness and waviness.
• The observed enamel surface changes were not correlated with the pH of the bleaching agents.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term clinical implications of these surface alterations.