Influences of age and maxillary anterior teeth status on patient's satisfaction with dental appearance and tooth colour

Whitening Efficacy of 3% Carbamide Peroxide Gel Activated by Lactoperoxidase

Objective

The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a whitening toothpaste containing 3% carbamide peroxide and lactoperoxidase. Materials and methods. Participants were instructed to brush their teeth using an enzymatic-activated dentifrice following a particular procedure for three weeks. Color was recorded before and after treatment using a VITA Easyshade spectrophotometer. Differences in L^∗ (tooth color lightness), a^∗ (displacement along the red-green axis), and b^∗ (displacement along the yellow-blue axis) were measured before and after treatment using the paired t and the Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Color changes (Δ_E) were calculated using the obtained measurements.

Results

Thirty-four volunteers were included. Δ_E was 4.03. For the set of 348 teeth, a greater tendency towards green (lower a^∗) and blue (lower b^∗) was observed (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in lightness after treatment. Mandibular central incisors showed a greater tendency towards green (lower a^∗) and blue (lower b^∗). Bleaching effectiveness was observed in both the upper and lower central incisors and in the lateral mandibular incisors.

Conclusion

Based on these results, it may be concluded that brushing with an enzymatic-activated dentifrice is effective for whitening teeth.

Concern with dental appearance and associated factors among the elderly of two southern Brazilian cities

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of concern with dental appearance (DA) and associated factors among the elderly of two southern Brazilian cities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the cities of Cruz Alta and Veranópolis, Brazil. Oral health examination and a structured questionnaire were applied. Questions from the PCATool-SB Brasil tool and the Questionnaire about Teeth Appearance, both validated to Brazilian samples, were used. The collected independent variables were: sex, age, ethnicity, education level, marital status, retirement, health problem, use of medication, smoking exposure, alcohol exposure, access to the dentist, toothbrushing frequency, use of dental floss, edentulism, use of and need for dental prosthesis. Concern with DA was dichotomized into yes/no. Associations between dependent and independent variables were assessed by Chi-square or Mann-Whitney tests. Moreover, uni- and multivariate analyses were conducted by Poisson regression with robust variance. Level of significance was established as p<0.05. Results: The prevalence of concern with DA was 18.8% (n=107). The prevalence ratio (PR) of concern with DA decreased 5.8% for each year increase (PR:0.942; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]:0.911–0.973). Elderly without access to the dentist in the last 12 months presented 62.5% (p=0.006) higher PR of concern with DA when compared to those with access to dental care. Dentate elderly showed 219% higher PR for concern with DA (PR:2.197; 95%CI:1.364–3.539) in comparison to edentulous individuals. Conclusion: Prevalence of concern with DA was low and associated with demographics, access to dental care and edentulism.

Spectrophotometric color analysis of maxillary permanent central incisors in a pediatric population: a preliminary study

BACKGROUND

Although several studies have reported the color distribution of maxillary central incisors and the effects of age and gender, a reliable database of the color of newly erupted teeth with open apices and the effect of the root development stage on tooth color shades do not currently exist.

AIM

The purpose of this in vivo study was to perform a spectrophotometric color analysis of maxillary permanent central incisors based on apical developmental stage, age, and gender groups.

DESIGN

A total of 734 maxillary permanent central incisors from 367 children aged 7-18 years who have fully erupted, intact, unrestored, vital right and left maxillary central incisors were evaluated. The patients were divided into nine groups, according to the root development stage and age. Digital images were quantified by non-contact spectrophotometry to determine the tooth color. Each tooth's color shade and L*, a*, and b* values were recorded. The L*, a*, and b* values were analyzed statistically with a multivariate analysis of variance test, and the color shades were analyzed with chi-square tests at the α = 0.05 level.

RESULTS

The most common general tooth shade, for both genders, was A2. A statistically significant difference was found between the 7- to 12-year-old and 13- to 18-year-old age groups in the general tooth shade and its L* value in the overall, cervical, middle, and incisal sites (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

There is a strong relationship between the apical developmental stages of the teeth and the L* values.

Changes of tooth color in middle and old age: A longitudinal study over a decade

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate changes in tooth color for 2 age cohorts (younger cohort, YC: 1950-1952; older cohort, OC: 1930-1932) over a mean observation period of 8 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sixty-one participants with 106 upper central incisors were subjected to baseline and follow-up examinations (YC: n = 46/OC: n = 15). International Commission on Illumination color coordinates of 1 or 2 unrestored test teeth for each participant were recorded by use of a spectrophotometer (VITA Easyshade 1) during both measurement times. Changes of color coordinates during the study period were evaluated by use of generalized linear mixed models with the variable "participant" as random effect. ΔE_ab and E₂₀₀₀ color differences were calculated between baseline and follow-up.

RESULTS

Significant changes in color coordinates were observed, with the exception of lightness in OC. The direction of the changes depended on the cohort. A decrease of lightness (value) was observed in YC (ΔL = 4.0; P < .001) whereas in OC chroma increased (ΔC = -3.3; P < .001). For both groups, a significant shift to more reddish tooth colors was observed. In almost all cases, color differences between baseline and follow-up exceeded the 50:50 acceptability thresholds for color differences (ΔE = 2.7) in both YC (≈90%) and OC (≈80%).

CONCLUSIONS

For both quinquagenarians and septuagenarians, clinically relevant changes in tooth color were observed after a decade; these could affect the long-term success of prosthetic restorations in terms of a satisfactory color match between natural teeth and dental prostheses. In contrast with the findings of cross-sectional studies, the changes were partially age-group-specific.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Tooth color can change over a decade. When fixed dental prostheses are planned, one should consider that changes of tooth color could lead to mismatch between a restoration and adjacent teeth during the period in clinical service.

Influence of Gender on the Patient's Assessment of Restorations on the Upper Anterior Teeth

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the level of patients' satisfaction with appearance of maxillary anterior teeth restorations and to determine if there is a significant difference in patients' assessment of restoration appearance with regard to gender.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred subjects evaluated the colour, anatomical shape and surface texture of maxillary anterior teeth restorations (composite fillings, acrylic faceted metal crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and all-ceramic crowns) in comparison with adjacent natural teeth. The data were expressed in patients' average assessment scores for colour, anatomical shape and surface texture as well as overall patients' average assessment scores for every type of restoration and overall patients' average assessment scores for colour, anatomical shape and surface texture of all the restorations in general. Patients also assessed the general impression of their maxillary anterior teeth restorations and rated it as satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant gender difference in patient assessment of colour and surface texture for composite fillings and the overall patient average assessment score for colour of all assessments (p <0.05). Women were more dissatisfied with the general impression of their restorations on the upper teeth than men (p >0.05). Only overall patients' average assessment score for composite restorations almost reached the level of significance (p = 0.069) on patients' general impression.

CONCLUSION

Colour of the restorations and the composite material are significant factors which affect dental appearance of maxillary anterior teeth in patients.