Effect of a brush tip on in-office bleaching gels in an attachable syringe: Hydrogen peroxide penetration, bleaching efficacy and amount of gel expended.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the penetration of hydrogen peroxide (HP) into the pulp chamber, bleaching efficacy (BE) and amount of gel expended during in-office bleaching using an applicator brush tip and conventional tip from different commercial brands. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 104 human premolars were randomly distributed into thirteen groups (n = 8) according to the commercial brand DSP White Clinic 35 % Calcium (DW), Nano White 35 % (NW), Total Blanc One-Step 35 % (TS), Whiteness HP Blue 35 % (WB), Potenza Bianco Pro SS 38 % (PB), Opalescence XTra Boost 40 % (OB), no bleaching (negative control), and application method: applicator brush tip and conventional tip for all groups. Initial HP concentration (%) was determined via titration and pH was measured with digital pH meter. Concentration (µg/mL) of HP into the pulp chamber was measured using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, the BE (ΔE*ab, ΔE00 and ΔWID) was evaluated with a digital spectrophotometer, and the amount of gel expended was evaluated using a precision analytical digital balance. Statistical analysis included two-way ANOVA, Tukey's, and Dunnett's test. Comparison between HP into the pulp chamber vs BE was performed with Person's correlation (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Brush tip demonstrated a low amount of HP in the pulp chamber compared to the conventional method for all bleaching gels (p < 0.0003), as well as lower amount of gel expended (p < 0.002). The brush tip did not result in a significant difference in BE compared to the conventional (p > 0.05). No correlations were found between both factors (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Brush tip showed lower penetration of HP in the pulp chamber and a reduced volume of spent gel when compared to the conventional tip, for all commercial brands. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Brush tip is recommended for bleaching gels in an attachable syringe due to its ability to reduce the penetration of HP into the pulp chamber and minimize the amount of bleaching gel used.