Case Presentation: Using Ionic Technology to Whiten Without Light or Heat

CASE PRESENTATION

Using Ionic Technology to Whiten Without Light or Heat

While the efficacy of most whitening products relies on either the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, heat, and/or exposure time, Colgate Optic White Professional uses electrochemistry, or ionic technology, which is a new approach to the process that removes stains on both the tooth surface and within the tooth structure. A battery in the whitening tray produces an electrical current that activates the bleaching gel, which causes the hydrogen peroxide to break down and accelerate the bleaching process. The process is activated by simply pressing the button on the tray handle after placement in the mouth, making the whitening tray acceptable and ready to use.

The Colgate Optic White Professional In Office system consists of dual syringes of a base and catalyst that are mixed together, and a conducting gel that interacts with the mixed whitening gel. The special tray has metallic window “inserts” on the buccal and lingual sides onto which the gels are applied. The conducting gel is applied to the lingual surface of the tray; the whitening gel to the buccal side. When those gels touch and the battery is turned on, the ionic action is activated. Before the whitening treatment, a composite resin gingival barrier is applied and light-cured. The whitening treatment consists of a series of three 10-minute whitening cycles, and the average whitening improvement is over 7 shades in one treatment appointment.

Case 1
A 42-year-old woman presented with a PFM crown on tooth No. 8, a composite restoration on No. 9, and moderately stained teeth. Tooth No. 7 was nonvital and would require vital bleaching. She wanted a nicer smile with less contrast between her restorations and tooth color. Tooth No. 9 was a C3 shade. The gingival barrier was applied about 1 mm above the junction (Figure 1) so that it would not flow into the areas that are diffi cult to bleach. It is thixotropic, making it easy to use a probe to gently move it exactly where it is needed (Figure 2). After the barrier was light-cured, the base and catalyst were mixed together and applied to the buccal, lingual, and incisal areas of the tray (Figure 3). The conducting gel was then applied to the occlusal area. The two types of gel must touch each other to ensure that an electromagnetic current is created when the battery within the tray is activated. The mandibular and maxillary arches were treated simultaneously (Figure 4). After 10 minutes when the indicator light turned off, all remnants of the material were suctioned away (Figure 5), the teeth were wiped off with wet gauze, and the whitening process was repeated two more times. At the end of the procedure, the gingival barrier was removed, the teeth were rinsed, and the shade guide was used to verify the final shade. The starting shade on tooth No. 7 was C4; after whitening, it was C1 (Figure 6). Tooth No. 9 started at C3 and bleached up to B1 (Figure 7). The tissues exhibited no irritation, and the patient did not experience any sensitivity during treatment. Case 2
This 17-year-old boy, who is actually my son, presented after completing orthodontics with the complaint that his teeth were yellow (Figure 8). Young patients are often hypersensitive to whitening treatments, so Colgate Optic White Professional was used because no one has reported sensitivity during or after treatment. This patient’s shade went from A3 to A1 (Figure 9), seven shades of improvement in one session. He and I were both thrilled. Conclusion
By eliminating heat and keeping the teeth hydrated during the process, the Colgate Optic White Professional whitening system solves two of the major issues seen with other in-office bleaching systems. This system is fast, effective, easy to use, and inexpensive. The fact that the product has not caused any sensitivity, so far in my experience, is the biggest value and a differentiator that sets it apart from other systems.