| Abstract [eng] |
Relevance of the problem: Changes in patients' psychosocial status can be one of the criteria for successful teeth whitening. There have been studies that investigated the potential impact of various whitening protocols on patients' quality of life and aesthetic self-perception, but their results are controversial. The effect of at–home whitening using 10% and 16% carbamide peroxide gel on the psychosocial status has not yet been evaluated. Aim of the work: To evaluate the impact of an at-home dental bleaching using 10% and 16% carbamide peroxide procedure on patients’ psychosocial status. Material and methods: During the study 60 patients of a private dental clinic in Vilnius underwent a 2 - week at–home whitening procedure using individual trays: in the first week, the patients used a whitening gel with 10% carbamide peroxide, and the second week – 16%. Patients were instructed to wear the trays overnight (5 - 7 hours). For these participants, the Finnish version of Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ – Fi, 2021) was applied before and 30 days after the whitening procedure. The questionnaire consists of 24 questions, which are divided into 4 categories: "Dental Self - Confidence" (DSC), "Social Impact" (SI), "Psychological Impact" (PI), "Aesthetic Concern" (AC). “IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0“ and “MS Excel“ software were used to evaluate the research results considering a level of significance p = 0,05. Descriptive statistics, dependent samples t-test were performed. Results: After teeth whitening procedures, the mean of total PIDAQ values decreased (p < 0,01). The "Dental Self - Confidence" domain increased (p < 0,001), the "Psychological impact" (PI) and "Aesthetic concern" (AC) domains decreased statistically significantly (p < 0,01). 90% of the participants said they liked the color of their teeth after teeth whitening. Conclusions: At–home teeth whitening, using 10% and 16% carbamide peroxide gel for 2 weeks, had a positive effect on patients’ psychosocial status. Teeth whitening reduced the negative psychological and social effects of dental aesthetics, as well as patients' aesthetic concerns and improved dental self - confidence. |
