Effects of light activated in-office bleaching on permeability, microhardness, and mineral content of enamel

The aim of this study was to evaluate the permeability (PE), microhardness (KHN), and mineral change in enamel after LED/laser activated in-office bleaching. For PE, the coronal portion of premolars (n=51) was subjected to bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide (Whiteness HP Maxx, FGM Dental Products, Joinville, SC, Brazil). The samples were stained via the histochemical method, which involves a copper sulphate solution and rubeanic acid. The penetration of dye into the enamel was measured. The KHN of enamel was assessed before treatment, immediately after the bleaching treatment, and again after one week. The calcium and phosphorus content were analyzed with a scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray (JSM 6360LV, Jeol Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). The data set from each test was subjected to appropriate parametric statistical analysis (α=0.05). No significant differences were observed for PE in NLA and LA compared to the control group (p=0.98), as well as for calcium (p=0.16) and phosphorus (p=0.80) content. Significant reduction of KHN after bleaching occurred for both groups (p<0.001). After immersion in artificial saliva, the KHN of the enamel for all groups was similar to that seen before bleaching. Light activation during in-office bleaching does not produce significant changes in the enamel compared to a non-light-activated technique.