Objective In‐office bleaching gels are usually marketed in different pHs. This study is aimed at evaluating the efficacy, enamel surface morphology and concentration of hydrogen peroxide (HP) in the pulp chamber of teeth bleached with 40% HP with different pHs. Materials and Methods Forty premolars were randomly divided according to bleaching gel pH: 5.1, 6.3, 7.0, and control (no bleaching). Teeth were prepared, an acetate buffer was placed in the pulp chamber and teeth were bleached with two 20‐minutes applications. The amount of HP was determined on a UV‐VIS spectrophotometer. Color change was assessed by using a digital spectrophotometer before and 1 week after bleaching treatment. Five additional premolars were divided into four parts, assigned to the same groups above for analysis under scanning electron microscope. Data were subjected to anova and Tukey's tests (alpha = 0.05). Results The group pH 5.1 showed the highest HP diffusion in the pulp chamber (P < .001). No significant difference was detected in color change (P = .51). All groups presented the same pattern of enamel demineralization. Conclusions The bleaching agent with pH 5.1 presented the highest HP amounts in the pulp chamber, but color change and enamel morphology were similar among groups. Clinical significance Regardless of the pH, the bleaching effect can be observed in teeth submitted to high concentrations of HP, but a higher permeability of HP was found in the pulp chamber of teeth bleached with more acidic bleaching agents. Based on that, we suggest the use of alkaline gels for in‐office bleaching to minimize damage to the pulpal tissue.

SUMMARY Purpose The objective of this study was to evaluate if the application method (tip with brush or tip without brush) and hydrogen peroxide (HP) concentration (6% or 35% self-mixing) of in-office bleaching gel influences the penetration of HP into the pulp chamber, color change, and the amount of bleaching gel used. Methods Forty healthy premolars were randomly divided into the following five groups (n=8): no treatment; HP6% using a tip with a brush, HP6% using a tip without a brush, HP35% using a tip with a brush, and HP35% using a tip without a brush. After treatments, the HP concentration (μg/mL) within the pulp chamber was determined using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The color change (ΔEab, ΔE00, and ΔWID) was evaluated using a digital spectrophotometer. The amount of gel used (g) in each group was measured using a precision analytical balance. Data from each test were submitted to parametric tests (α=0.05). Results The tip with a brush resulted in a lower amount of HP inside the pulp chamber and less gel used when compared with the tip without a brush, regardless of HP concentration (p&lt;0.05). However, regarding the tip used, although no significant difference was observed when HP35% was used (p&gt;0.05), a higher whitening effect was observed when the 6% HP was applied without a brush as opposed to with a tip brush (p&lt;0.05). Conclusions The use of a tip with a brush, regardless of the in-office bleaching gel concentration (6% or 35% self-mixing), presented a lower penetration and lower volume of spent gel when compared to a tip without brush. However, the whitening effect depends on the concentration of HP used.

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Objective: This study’s aim was to quantify the hydrogen peroxide (HP) penetration into the pulp chamber of teeth submitted to different protocols of bleaching. Material and Methods: Ninety premolars were randomly divided into nine groups according to the bleaching agent protocol (n = 10): control (no bleaching), carbamide peroxide 10% [10% CP], carbamide peroxide 16% [16% CP], carbamide peroxide 22% [22% CP], hydrogen peroxide 4% [4% HP], hydrogen peroxide 6% [6% HP], hydrogen peroxide 7.5% [7.5% HP], hydrogen peroxide 10% [10% HP] and hydrogen peroxide 35% [35% HP]. The penetration of HP was measured via spectrophotometric analysis of the acetate buffer solution from the pulp chamber. The absorbance of the resulting solution was determined in a spectrophotometer and converted into equivalent concentration of HP (μg/ mL). To analyze the concentration of HP, the titration of bleaching agents with potassium permanganate was used. Data were subjected to ANOVA and Tukey’s test for pairwise comparison (α = 0.05). Results: Higher concentration of HP in the pulp chamber was found in the HP 35% group (p < 0.0001). No significant difference between at-home protocols were observed (p = 0.64). Titration values showed that the concentration of the products was similar to that claimed by the manufacturer. Conclusion: It follows that the amount of HP that reaches the pulp chamber is not proportional to the concentration of whitening gels, but depends on the application time recommended by the manufacturers.KEYWORDSAt-home bleaching; Dental enamel permeability; Inoffice bleaching; Tooth bleaching.