Maintenance of whitening with a power toothbrush after bleaching treatment

A randomized, parallel, examiner-blind clinical study was conducted to examine the ability of 2 toothbrushes to maintain teeth whitening after at-home bleaching. Forty subjects used a 15% carbamide peroxide tray bleaching system at home for 2 weeks per the manufacturer's instructions and then were randomly assigned to use either the Sonicare Advance power toothbrush or a manual toothbrush as part of their home oral hygiene routine for 6 months. The color of the labial surfaces of the subjects' maxillary anterior dentition was assessed before bleaching and immediately, 2 months, 3 months, and 6 months after bleaching. Color was assessed by comparison with Vita Classical shade tabs and by digital image analysis in the CIE L*a*b* color space. Both groups demonstrated a rebound effect at the 2-month visit and beyond, with mean Vita shade scores significantly higher than immediately after bleaching. At the 6-month evaluation, a significant difference in the amount of rebound in each group was observed. Specifically, the rebound of the Sonicare brush group was on average 1.12 Vita shades less than that of the manual brush group. The 6-month difference was confirmed through digital image analysis, with the Sonicare brush group 4.8 L* units lighter, corresponding to 2 Vita shades, and 2.1 b* units less yellow than the manual brush group. This clinical trial demonstrates that the Sonicare Advance toothbrush better maintains whitening after bleaching treatment than a manual toothbrush.