Brita Willershausen
AcceptedAbstracts: Anaplastology
In aesthetic dentistry, tooth whitening with different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide is a commonly performed technique which can be done at home or by means of in-office whitening procedures. Growing aesthetic awareness of the patients and effective advertisements in the mass media has supported this trend. In all age groups, the visible area of the front teeth is of special interest, because in this particular region all discolorations, including those related to aging are considered to be especially unattractive. Bleaching of vital and nonvital teeth has become a common treatment in the dental office. For whitening of vital teeth, external methods using carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide in different concentrations for home and in-office bleaching are available. For home bleaching concentrations of 10-20% carbamide peroxide are recommended. The in-office products contain higher concentrations of up to 35% hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. In the dental office, the whitening process can be affected using different types of lamps, heat or laser beams. The effect of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide for external bleaching on human enamel is discussed controversially; some studies showed alterations of the surface structures, while others found no changes. In this lecture, the effect of bleaching agents in clinical studies and the influence of different bleaching agents on enamel samples will be shown. In conclusion we can say that the application of bleaching agents with a neutral pH doesnt cause any damage to sound enamel. When erosive lesions are present, bleaching should only be done with mild products.
Brita Willershausen, DDS, has been the head of the department of operative dentistry of the university medical centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany since 1993. She graduated in chemistry and in dentistry from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, where she also obtained her habilitation in dentistry. She has published over 200 journals in peer-reviewed scientific journals, has given as many lecture at international and national meetings, she has served as reviewer for various journals. Research Interest: Studies on tooth-coloured restoration materials, aesthetic dentistry, tooth whitening, dental erosion, cell culture studies with endodontic sealers, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease.
