Sbiancamento domiciliare e professionale a confronto. Prima parte: procedure domiciliari

Objectives. To provide dental hygienists and dentists with knowledge of the active ingredients in tooth bleaching agents and their mechanisms of action with particular emphasis on the effects of bleaching on dental hue, chroma, and value and on different types of discoloration, the management of side effects, and the skills needed to perform this esthetic treatment procedure with success. Materials and methods. The authors review methods for assessing and classifying tooth color and discolorations and then analyze their experience with various products furnished by the cosmetic dental industry. Particular emphasis is placed on procedures for home bleaching. The article also includes an analysis of the most recent publications in the field of cosmetic dentistry. Results and conclusions. The objective of successful dental bleaching is to achieve a satisfactory degree of whiteness without provoking unpleasant side effects, such as acute tooth sensitivity. To this end, bleaching must be regarded as a true medical intervention that requires careful patient selection and a thorough understanding of the various procedures that can be used. Dental bleaching is being requested more and more frequently, and for this reason, high-level professionalism among operators must be promoted.