Effect of whitening products on sound enamel and on artificial caries lesions during a cariogenic challenge.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of fluoride-containing whitening products on sound enamel and on artificial caries lesions during a cariogenic challenge.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bovine enamel specimens (n = 120) with three areas [non-treated sound enamel (NSE), treated sound enamel (TSE), and treated artificial caries lesion (TACL)] were randomly assigned to the four groups: whitening mouthrinse (WM: 2.5% hydrogen peroxide-100 ppm F- ), placebo mouthrinse (PM: 0% hydrogen peroxide-100 ppm F- ), whitening gel (WG: 10% carbamide peroxide-1130 ppm F- ), and deionized water (negative control; NC). The treatments (2 min for WM, PM, and NC, and 2 h for WG) were carried out during a 28-day pH-cycling model (6 × 60 min demineralization/day). Relative surface reflection intensity (rSRI) and transversal microradiography (TMR) analyses were performed. Fluoride uptake (surface and subsurface) was measured in additional enamel specimens.

RESULTS: For TSE, a higher value of rSRI was observed in WM (89.99% ± 6.94), and a greater decrease in rSRI was observed for WG and NC, and no sign of mineral loss was verified for all groups (p > 0.05). For TACL, rSRI significantly decreased after pH-cycling for all experimental groups with no difference between them (p < 0.05). Higher amounts of fluoride were found in WG. WG and WM exhibited intermediate values of mineral loss, similar to PM.

CONCLUSIONS: The whitening products did not potentialize the enamel demineralization under a severe cariogenic challenge, and they did not exacerbate mineral loss of the artificial caries lesions.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Low concentrated hydrogen peroxide whitening gel and mouthrinse containing fluoride do not intensify the progression of caries lesions.