Tooth whitening: current status and prospects

Kaiyi Li; Shuang Chen; Jingjing Wang; Xuan Xiao; Zhifeng Song; Shangfeng Liu

doi:10.1007/s10266-024-00914-4

Tooth whitening: current status and prospects

Odontology. 2024 Apr 3. doi: 10.1007/s10266-024-00914-4. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Kaiyi Li^#^{1

2}, Shuang Chen^#², Jingjing Wang^#³, Xuan Xiao^{1

2}, Zhifeng Song^{4

5}, Shangfeng Liu^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral Mucosa, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China.
² Shanghai Key Laboratory of Craniomaxillofacial Development and Diseases, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200001, People's Republic of China.
³ School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
⁴ Department of Oral Mucosa, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China. Shangfeng_liu683@fudan.edu.en.
⁵ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Craniomaxillofacial Development and Diseases, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200001, People's Republic of China. Shangfeng_liu683@fudan.edu.en.
⁶ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Craniomaxillofacial Development and Diseases, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200001, People's Republic of China. szf9110627@163.com.
⁷ School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. szf9110627@163.com.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 38565694
DOI: 10.1007/s10266-024-00914-4

Abstract

As a safe, effective, economical, and convenient technique, tooth whitening is one of the most popular treatments for improving tooth discoloration. This review summarizes the theoretical and recent research developments in the classification and mechanisms of tooth discoloration, as well as the principles, agents, effects, and side effects of tooth whitening techniques. The aim is to provide a basis for the clinical treatment of tooth whitening techniques and to suggest possible new ideas for further research. The accepted mechanism of whitening is the redox reaction of oxides in the whitening reagent, and the whitening effect is remarkable. However, side effects such as tooth sensitivity and irritation of gum and other oral soft tissues can still occur. It is recommended that more monitoring be carried out in the clinic to monitor these side effects, and care should be taken to protect the soft tissues in the mouth during office whitening procedures. Furthermore, there is a need to develop new additives or natural whitening products to reduce the occurrence of side effects.

Keywords: Dental fluorosis; H2O2; Tooth discoloration; Tooth whitening.

Publication types

Review