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Soft‐Tissue Alterations Following Exposure to Tooth‐Whitening Agents
Author(s) -
Lucier Rebekah N.,
Etienne Olivier,
Ferreira Susana,
Garlick Jonathan A.,
Kugel Gerard,
Egles Christophe
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of periodontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.036
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1943-3670
pISSN - 0022-3492
DOI - 10.1902/jop.2012.100383
Subject(s) - inflammation , apoptosis , epithelium , basal (medicine) , in vivo , soft tissue , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , pathology , medicine , immunology , endocrinology , biochemistry , insulin
Background: Tooth‐whitening agents are widely used, either as self‐application products or under the supervision of a dentist. These products may be associated with transient gross morphologic changes in oral soft tissues. However, their potential effects on human keratinocytes and fibroblasts in a stratified squamous epithelium have yet to be elucidated. Methods: In this study, three‐dimensional human tissue equivalents are exposed to varying concentrations of tooth‐whitening agents for increasing time periods. Tissue alterations are investigated in terms of morphology, proliferation, apoptosis, and protein expression. Results: All whitening agents tested altered tissue morphology, induced proliferation of basal keratinocytes, and caused apoptosis of cells in all epithelial strata. In addition, whitening agents induced alterations in the expression of cytokines that are linked to inflammation. Conclusions: These results suggest that whitening agents may induce similar changes in vivo and that these products should be used for limited periods of time or under the supervision of a dental professional.