Development and evaluation of a method in vitro to study the effectiveness of tooth bleaching

Aim. To develop and evaluate a reproducible intrinsic discolouration model in vitro, based on tea, which would allow the effectiveness of bleaching to be evaluated. Method. The crown portions of extracted human third molars were sectioned bucco-lingually in half. Colour assessments were made at baseline, post staining and post whitening using a standard clinical shade guide (SG), a shade vision clinical colorimeter system (SVS) and a reflectance chromometer. Internal staining employed a standard tea solution into which groups of five specimens were placed from 1 to 6 days. All assessments demonstrated maximum staining within one day. Groups of stained specimens were exposed to 1. Water (placebo control) 2. Enamel polished 3. Enamel polished and bleached through enamel 4. Bleached through enamel 5. Bleached through dentine 6. Bleached through enamel and dentine 7. Exposed to the bleach vehicle (minus active control). Control and bleach gel treatments were for 30 min. Comparisons of treatment effects were made using unpaired t-test on groups selected a priori for analysis. Results. SG and SVS revealed that control and polish treatments had no or little effect respectively on tooth shade but all bleach treatments produced marked and statistically significant whitening effects and to a similar magnitude. Bleaching treatments returned the majority of specimens to the original shade or beyond representing a SG mean change of 13.8–15 shade guide units (SGU). Chromometer readings were consistent except that polishing alone increased tooth lightness slightly. Conclusions. Teeth were reproducibly stained internally, to provide a model in vitro by which to evaluate bleaching. The model, could be used to study many aspects of vital tooth bleaching, but has the limitation, without in vivo or in situ data, of cautiously extrapolating the effects in vitro to outcome clinically.