Whitening primer application before teeth whitening did not enhance the procedure nor did it decrease tooth sensitivity, according to a new study (Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, April 2011, Vol. 23:2, pp. 97-104).
The researchers conducted a randomized, split-mouth design, single-blinded clinical study with 25 patients.
The patients received whitening priming agent (Power swabs) on right or left maxillary incisors prior to in-office tooth whitening with Opalescence Boost (Ultradent Products).
There researchers evaluated the color using the Bleachedguide 3D-Master (Vita) and Vita Easyshade spectrophotometer 30 minutes, 1 day, and 15 days after whitening, and also asked the subjects to rate their tooth and soft-tissue sensitivity.
The teeth that were treated with the primer prior to tooth whitening did not show significant difference in ΔL*, Δa*, Δb*, ΔE* and delta shade guide from the teeth that were not treated with the primer.
None of the subjects experienced soft-tissue sensitivity, and those who experienced tooth sensitivity said it was not noticeable after 15 days postwhitening.
"The primer neither enhanced the whitening effect nor decreased tooth sensitivity when used before vital bleaching with Opalescence Boost," the authors concluded.
