Page 70 - Dental Practice South Asia 18-6

teeth whitening

THE LATEST INNOVATION IN PEROXIDE FREE - OTC TEETH WHITENING REGIMEN

DR.SHIPRA JAISWAL

INTRODUCTION
Currently, the widely used tooth-whitening methods can be gener-
ally divided into two parts, the invasive whitening methods and the
non-invasive whitening methods. Due to the teeth being irreversibly
damaged by cutting and grinding the enamels when using the inva-
sive whitening technology with brighter Veneers /Crowns , the non-
invasive methods using active whitening ingredients in the form of
gels/pastes have gained more and more attentions.
There are many non-invasive ingredients such as Hydrogen
Peroxide (HP) and Carbamide Peroxide (CP). Different HP and CP
based gels are used currently for at Home and In-Office dental
bleaching according to Jurisdictional Regulations. However, whiten-
ing of teeth by Peroxide based ingredients may be harmful to the
health of oral mucosa and Enamel/Dentin if gone wrong.
In search of bleaching agents that may be alternatives to HP or
CP, there has been a recent interest in Organic Peroxides such as
phthalimido peroxy caproic acid (PAP). Herein, by using polymer
gel for the fine vehicle an efficient, phthalimido peroxy caproic acid
(PAP) based composite gel was prepared for tooth-whitening
process.
According to the tooth bleaching results measured by Spectro
shade computerized spectrophotometry, PAP showed equivalent THE CLINICAL USE
tooth whitening effect to HP, and the composite gel with 12% PAP The investigated novel bleaching agent – TEETH WHITENING
was found to have the best whitening effect. PAP can be a viable PEN from PUREXA, consists of phthalimido peroxy caproic acid
alternative to the tooth whitening products with HP and CP. (PAP+), an organic peroxide containing a high potential of oxida-
tion. Oxidation is necessary for the bleaching procedure as it neu-
WORKING PRINCIPLE tralizes organic double bonds that cause dental discolorations. Risks
PAP+ is a whitening formulation which includes the active ingredi- involved in at-home and in-office bleaching procedures are tooth
ents phthalimido peroxy caproic acid (PAP), hydroxyapatite (nano) hypersensitivity and gingival irritations but no dental hypersensitiv-
and potassium citrate. ities and mucosal irritations were observed by the examiner imme-
PAP+ formulation offers a whitening treatment that mitigates diately and 24 h after the single /multiple use of the new bleaching
the typically expected adverse effects from tooth bleaching with HP/ agent. The results were instant (almost 2-3 shades jump in 5 min)
CP. With the active ingredient PAP, this method produces acceler- without any sensitivity reported.
ated whitening results without compromising the tooth’s mineral or
protein structure. PAP is not an irritant to oral soft tissues, which CONCLUSIONS
means there is no requirement for a gingival barrier to protect the Although more studies are needed to authenticate PAP+ as a great
soft tissues. The inclusion of a nano-particle (nano-hydroxyapatite) alternative to Peroxide Based Whitening gels, it sure holds promise
and potassium citrate offer certain additional benefits to the teeth as an effective OTC Cosmetic Adjunct for all dental patients coming
during the whitening process, such as improved enamel structure for Cleaning and Polishing to our setups as every patient deserves a
and the reduction of pre-existing tooth sensitivity. The PAP+ treat- brighter and healthier smile.
ment is unique as it doesn’t use peroxide, the traditional ingredient
used to whiten teeth. The author is a periodontist practicing in New Delhi.

“PAP is not an irritant to oral soft tissues, which means there is no requirement for a

gingival barrier to protect the soft tissues. The inclusion of a nano-particle (nano-
hydroxyapatite) and potassium citrate offer certain additional benefits to the teeth
during the whitening process, such as improved enamel structure and the reduction of

pre-existing tooth sensitivity.”

70 Dental Practice // November-December 2022 // Vol 18 No 6