Whitening Effects of Prophylaxis Paste

Many types of pastes are available for coronal polishing. While a large selection is helpful, trying to find the right one for each patient can be a daunting task. "Enhanced" prophylaxis pastes contain additives that provide a specific function, such as boosting the enamel surface, reducing sensitivity, or providing whitening benefits. The American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs defines "whitening" as any process that makes teeth appear whiter. This can be achieved through the use of a bleaching product that contains peroxides to change the natural or inherent tooth color or the use of a nonbleaching product to remove extrinsic stain.¹ The purpose of coronal polishing is to remove biofilm and extrinsic stain.² By definition, polishing whitens tooth surfaces. As such, all prophylaxis pastes can be considered whitening because one of their purposes is to remove stain. An important consideration when choosing any polishing paste is its abrasiveness. Prophylaxis paste is available in various grits, and the least abrasive grit needed to remove the stain should be chosen. Most whitening toothpastes and polishing pastes are generally more abrasive than nonwhitening pastes. Selection should be based on the type and amount of stain and the type of restorations present.2,3 More abrasive products have a higher Mohs hardness value (Table 1)³ and create more scratches on the tooth surface, possibly compromising the esthetics of some restorations.2,4 When polishing surfaces with restorations, select a cleaning or polishing agent recommended by the manufacturer. Often, these products are fine or ultrafine in particle size and will clean without roughening the restoration's surface.^2–4 The bottom line is that clinicians must carefully investigate marketing claims and ask for published research to support such claims when selecting products.

References

1. American Dental Association. Statement on the Safety and Effectiveness of Tooth Whitening Products. Available at: ada.org/en/about-the-ada/adapositions- policies-and-statements/tooth-whitening-safety-and-effectiveness. Accessed October 4, 2016.
2. Wilkins EM. Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist. 12th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2009:779–797.
3. Barnes CM. The science of polishing. Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. 2009;7(11):18–22.
4. Barnes CM. Polishing esthetic restorative materials. Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. 2010;8(1):24–28.