The dental pulp: inflammatory markers and vital bleaching.

Purpose: To evaluate the expression of specific neuropeptides associated with inflammation, substance-P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), after night guard vital bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide gel.

Methods: 10 patients with four caries free premolars scheduled for orthodontic extraction had these teeth bleached with 10% Opalescence as follows: tooth #28, no treatment (control); #5, 4 days of bleaching; #12, 2 weeks of bleaching; #21, 2 weeks of bleaching, followed by 2 weeks without treatment. All teeth in the four groups were extracted at the same time.

Pulp reaction to vital bleaching.

This study evaluated the histological changes in dental pulp after nightguard vital bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide gel. Fifteen patients between 12 and 26 years of age with caries-free first premolars scheduled for orthodontic extraction were treated with 10% Opalescence (Ultradent Products, Inc). Tooth #5 had four days of bleaching, tooth #12 was treated for two weeks, tooth #21 was bleached for two weeks followed by two weeks without treatment and tooth #28, serving as the control, was without treatment.