Comparison of efficacy of an in-office whitening system used with and without a whitening priming agent

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the whitening efficacy of an in-office whitening system with and without the whitening primer application and evaluate tooth and soft tissue sensitivity. Materials and Methods: This was a randomized, split-mouth design, single-blinded, clinical study. Twenty-five patients received a whitening priming agent (Power Swabs, Power Swabs Corporation, Beaverton, OR, USA) on right or left maxillary incisors prior to in-office tooth whitening with Opalescence Boost (38% hydrogen peroxide; Ultradent Products, Inc., South Jordan, UT, USA). Color was evaluated with the Bleachedguide 3D Master (Vita Zahnfabrik, Bad Sackingen, Germany) and Vita Easyshade spectrophotometer (Vident, Brea, CA, USA), after 30 minutes, 1 day, and 15 days postwhitening. After each tooth color measurement, the subjects were asked to rate their tooth and soft tissue sensitivity experience using a visual analog scale (1-10 categories). Results were analyzed by two-way repeated measurements analysis of variance/Tukey's (p < 0.05); Mann-Whitney rank sum test and Kruskal-Wallis. Results: 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, at the three time points evaluated (baseline versus 30 minutes after in-office treatment, baseline versus 1 day, and baseline versus 15 days). None of the subjects experienced soft tissue sensitivity, and those who experienced tooth sensitivity said it was not noticeable after 15 days postwhitening. Clinical Significance The primer neither enhanced the whitening effect nor decreased tooth sensitivity when used before vital bleaching with Opalescence Boost (Ultradent Products, Inc., South Jordan, UT, USA). None of the subjects experienced soft tissue sensitivity, and some experienced transient tooth sensitivity.