The use of ozone to lighten teeth. An experimental study.

Tooth-whitening agents are available for therapeutic use in the dental office or at home. However, whitening more severe stains, such as those caused by systemic ingestion of tetracycline, constitutes a challenge. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in an experimental model of growing rats, the efficacy of using ozone to lighten tetracycline-stained incisors. At weaning, male Wistar rats (n=40) were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Two control groups, C2, and C60 (n=8, each) were used to document the usual age-related color. The third group (n=24) received 0.25 g% of oxytetracycline (0) until 60 days of age. These rats were subsequently divided into three further groups: O0, O3 and O5 (n=8, each). These rats were anesthetized; O3 and O5 groups received ozone application to the lower incisors for 3 (group O3) or 5 minutes (group O5), respectively; while O0 did not receive the ozone treatment. Teeth were then photographed and the incisors from the control (C60) and treatment groups (O0, O3 and O5) were cut, and compared to a standard color guide (there were eight shades numbered 0 to 7, lightest to darkest) to assess the hue visually. The teeth were then placed in phosphoric acid to quantify the color by spectrophotometry. The data (mean +/- SD) were analyzed by One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey's test or Dunnett test. The visual observation, analyzed blindly by one investigator showed that O3 and O5 groups had diminished yellowing of the teeth as compared to the untreated O0 group (P < 0.001). The color quantified by spectrophotometry also detected significant differences among groups (O3 < O0, P < 0.01; O5 < O0, P < 0.001 and O5 < 03, P < 0.01). C21 and C60 were significantly different among groups (P < 0.001). This is the first experimental study to show that ozone can be successfully used for lightening the yellowish tinge of tetracycline-stained rat incisors. Further studies are required for its potential use in the dental clinic.