Bleaching and Tooth Mineralization

Bleaching gels do not alter calcium and phosphorus concentrations on the enamel surface, according to an in vivo study in the current Journal of the American Dental Association  (June 2012, Vol. 143:6, pp. 580-586).

Bleaching has become a stable with many individuals that want whiter teeth. It has been a concern that there could be damaging effect to the enamel of the tooth. We preform a lot of this procedure at our practice in the Montclair area. I saw this report that there is a possibility  of no damage to the teeth. I will continue to follow this thought and below is a summary of the report.

Researchers from São Leopoldo Mandic Institute and Research Center in Brazil examined the changes in calcium and phosphorus concentrations in enamel after the use of home-use and in-office bleaching treatments inside the mouth.

After analyzing each bleaching agent individually, the study authors found no differences among calcium and phosphorus concentrations at the three evaluation times (baseline, during bleaching, and after bleaching). This most likely is caused by the protective effect of saliva, which promotes dilution, supplements calcium and phosphorus ions for enamel remineralization, and has a buffering capacity, they noted.

“We can expect that saliva has an important role in teeth remineralization that can counteract the effects of dental bleaching,” Dr. Amaral said.

Dr. Amaral emphasized that further studies are needed to confirm the findings of the current study.