THE IMPACT OF TOOTH WHITENING PROCEDURES ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE: A TOPIC REVIEW

Abstract

One of the goals to be achieved in cosmetic dentistry is the improvement of a patient’s quality of life. Tooth whitening is a low-cost procedure that can be performed either in- office or by the patients themselves, at home. Several scientific papers have proven its effectiveness and other studies have been conducted to evaluate its psychosocial impact. Among the tools that have been used for this purpose are the questionnaires Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP), Oral Impact on Daily Performance (OIDP) and Psycho-social Impact of Dental Aesthetics (PIDAQ). The present study aims to review the literature regarding the impact tooth whitening has on a patients’ quality of life. PubMed, Cochrane Central, Scopus and Embase databases were searched. 224 articles were identified, and 40 articles were selected, of which 13 were clinical studies. There seems to be a consensus in the literature researched associating tooth whitening to improvement in quality of life. On the other hand, some negative impacts have been reported, such as dental sensitivity and gingival irritation. However, these negative effects can be minimized or even avoided with the combination of correct diagnosis of the color change, ideal technique application, and the appropriate concentration of whitening agent as recommended by the dentist.

Keywords

• tooth bleaching
• quality of life
• world health organization
• oral health