Objective: To compare the effectiveness of sodium perborate mixed with distilled water and sodium perborate mixed with 30% hydrogen peroxide as non-vital bleaching agent of anterior discolored teeth.
Materials and methods: A randomized controlled trial was undertaken among 61 patients who presented with 70 discolored anterior teeth at the Conservative and Family Dentistry Clinics of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. The 70 teeth were randomly allocated into two groups of treatments. In Group A, the test group, the coronal part of endodontically treated teeth was further treated with sodium perborate mixed with distilled water while group B, the control group, the coronal part of endodontically treated teeth were also further treated with sodium perborate mixed with 30% hydrogen peroxide. Information on study participants biodata and satisfaction with treatment were obtained. Tooth shade assessment was done using shade guide units of the vitapan shade guide at baseline and during recall visits on days 7, 14, and 21. Frequencies, means, and standard deviations were generated. The Chi-squared test was used to determine the association between two categorical variables at p < 0.05.
Results: In the control group, the mean ± SD tooth shade was 12.5 ± 3.2, 8.7 ± 3.8, 4.9 ± 2.8, and 3.1 ± 2.2 at baseline, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 21, respectively. In the test group, the corresponding values were 12.8 ± 3.2, 9.6 ± 3.9, 5.6 ± 3.0, and 4.0 ± 2.9. The mean ± SD tooth shade scores of the control and test groups were 12.5 ± 3.2 and 12.8 ± 3.2, respectively (p = 0.15). Twenty-two (62.9%) and 19 (54.3%) of the study participants in the control and test groups, respectively, reported that they were extremely satisfied (p = 0.60).
Conclusion: The effectiveness of sodium perborate mixed with distilled water and sodium perborate mixed with 30% hydrogen peroxide in lightening the coronal part of endodontically treated non-vital discolored anterior teeth was similar. Both bleaching agents demonstrated similar patient satisfaction.
Keywords: Discolored teeth; Distilled water; Hydrogen peroxide; Non-vital; Sodium perborate.
© Association of Resident Doctors, UCH, Ibadan.