Background: Perform a literature review on dental bleaching in order to evaluate its effectiveness and its adverse effects. Materials and Method:For this literature review, electronic searches were performed for articles related to the keywords: "Dental bleaching", "Hydrogen peroxide", "Carbamide peroxide", in the databases Pubmed, Lilacs and Scielo, among the years 2009 and 2019. The articles were cited in chronological order from the year 2009.Result: After searching the articles, 25 studies were selected that analyzed the effectiveness of tooth whitening and its effects. Conclusion:The association of office and home techniques can minimize possible damage to dental structures. The professional, to obtain favorable results in the use of the office whitening technique, must know the product he will use, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the application and guidance to the patient, respect the soft tissue protection technique, use products that minimize sensitivity, as well as individualizing each treatment. Clinical Significance:The literature reports that tooth whitening is a technique that is safe, efficient and has no harmful effects on dental enamel when an appropriate and individualized protocol is performed for each patient.