Effectiveness of and tooth sensitivity with at-home bleaching in smokers

Abstract

Background. The authors conducted a 2-center controlled clinical study to show the equivalence of at-home bleaching in smokers and nonsmokers at 1 week and 1 month and evaluate tooth sensitivity (TS).

Methods. The authors selected 60 smokers and 60 nonsmokers with central incisors of shade A2 or darker. The participants performed bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide for 3 hours daily for 3 weeks. The authors evaluated the color by using a shade guide and a spectrophotometer before, during, and after bleaching (1 week and 1 month). Patients recorded TS by using a 0-4 scale and a visual analog scale. The authors used multivariable regression analysis to test factors associated with color change and TS (alpha = .05).

Results. Smokers and nonsmokers showed significant color change statistically equivalent to within +/- 2.0 units at 1 week after bleaching. Overall, color shade improved by 4.1 shade guide units (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.7-4.5) and 7.8 units of color change measured with the spectrophotometer (95% CI, 7.1-8.5) at 1 month. None of the factors affected the TS risk. TS absolute risk and intensity were similar between groups (P > .05), with an overall estimate of 47% (95% CI, 38-56%).

Conclusions. The immediate effectiveness of whitening and bleaching-related TS were not affected by smoking.

Practical Implications. Smoking did not affect the immediate color change (1 week). Effective whitening was achieved regardless of whether the patient was a smoker. However, this equivalence was not apparent 1 month after bleaching, with smokers having slightly darker teeth.