Epilogue

Long term clinical studies are needed to confirm the usefulness of LEDs. Charcoal toothpaste with whitening power is a product that defies logic. One must fight discoloration by incorporating an ingredient that is dark in color. Again, controversies exist, and we are just introducing the readers to the possibility. One major US oral health product company has aggressively marketed such a product so there must be some magic behind the concept. One important issue concerning dental bleaching is that of public safety. To add to the confusion, the European Union regulations are much stricter than those in the USA. FDA classified dental bleaching as a cosmetic procedure and not under its supervision. We often see advertisements on cruise ships and shopping kiosks recruiting clients for "teeth whitening". They are careful with the terminology since according to the FDA, whitening restores natural tooth color and bleaching whitens beyond the natural color. Currently, there are multiple ongoing clinical studies and we will wait for conclusive clinical data to help guide us. Lastly, I would like to thank all the contributors and the editorial staff at the American Journal of Dentistry who were so patient with us through this process. Without them, the issue would not be possible.