Demineralization effects of 2 bleaching procedures on enamel surfaces with and without post-treatment fluoride application.

In this in vitro study, the demineralization effect of 2 different bleaching procedures on enamel surfaces with and without the post-treatment application of fluoride was determined. Bovine enamel specimens (n= 180) were ground flat, polished and divided into 6 groups. Group A (n=30) specimens were bleached with Opalescence, 10% carbamide peroxide (Ultradent Products, Inc) for 8 hours daily for 2 weeks; Group B (n=30) specimens were treated with Whitestrips, 5.3% hydrogen peroxide (Procter & Gamble) for 1 hour daily for 2 weeks; Group C (n=30): the same as Group A, but after bleaching, a fluoride varnish was applied on the specimens and left for 1 hour (Duraphat, 2.26% F-); Group D (n=30): the same as Group B, followed by the same fluoride application as Group C; Group E (n=30): the specimens were covered with a glycerin gel as a control group; Group F (n=30): specimens were kept in Coca Cola 1 hour daily for 2 weeks. The mineral loss (vol% microm) and lesion depth (microm) were measured by microradiography. Data analysis was accomplished using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests (p<0.05) (SPSS 11.0). The median mineral loss was statistically significantly higher in the non-fluoride groups (A: 271.20 vs C: 128.00 and B: 364.90 vs D: 151.10). The highest mineral loss was found in Group F (581.85 vol% microm) and was lowest in Group E (32.80 vol% microm). No statistically significant difference between groups was found for lesion depth.