Comparative Whitening Efficacy of 2-hour Strips and Professional Laser Treatment

Objectives: , This study compared whitening efficacy and safety of experimental 2-hour whitening strips to a professional laser-assisted whitening treatment. Methods: , This was a randomized, examiner-blinded, parallel design clinical trial. Forty-three adult volunteers with no history of prior bleaching, Vita shade of A2 or darker on facial surfaces of anterior teeth and no existing tooth sensitivity were randomized to one of the two treatments: 1) experimental 10% H₂O₂ high-adhesion whitening strips, used 2-h, 1x day for 7 days or 2) in-office whitening procedure (LaserSmile™) conducted in a single day at Product Distribution visit following manufacturer's instructions. Efficacy (Digital Image Analysis) and safety (oral exams and subject interviews) assessments were conducted at Baseline and Day 8. Results: , Subjects ranged in age from 19-59 (average of 33) and 70% of subjects were female. Groups were balanced with respect to their Baseline demographic characteristics and tooth color (p > 0.52). Both groups demonstrated significant (p < 0.001) improvement of b* (yellowness) and L* (lightness) color parameters relative to Baseline at Day 8 study visit.  The 2-hour strip group demonstrated significantly greater (p < 0.0001) b* and L* color improvement relative to the laser group at Day 8. The Day 8 Δb* values were -2.56 for the 2-hour strip group and -0.64 for the laser group. The Day 8 ΔL* values were 2.48 for the 2-hour strip group and 0.92 for the laser group. Tooth sensitivity and oral irritation were the two types of adverse events experienced in the study. No subject discontinued treatment due to an adverse event. Conclusions: , The study demonstrated that 7-day use of experimental 2-hour high adhesion whitening strips resulted in greater tooth color improvement relative to that of a professional laser-assisted whitening treatment.