Role of enamel and dentin on color changes after internal bleaching associated or not with external bleaching

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the association between external and internal tooth bleaching on color changes in dentin and enamel, individually or recombined, previously stained with triple antibiotic paste (TAP). METHODOLOGY: Forty enamel-dentin specimens from bovine incisors were separated into ten blocks according to similarity in their whiteness index (WID). Three specimens within each block were stained by dentin exposure to TAP, and the remaining specimen was used as control to estimate color changes. Specimens were sectioned to separate tissues, and dentin and enamel colors were measured individually and after being recombined. Alterations in color (CIEDE2000 - ΔE(00)) and translucency parameter (TP) resulting from staining were estimated by color difference between stained and control specimens. The contribution of each tissue to the color change (CTCC) was also calculated. Non-sectioned stained specimens were bleached by applying sodium perborate on dentin, associated or not with 35% hydrogen peroxide on enamel. Color changes caused by bleaching procedures were estimated and data were analyzed using the paired t-test or Two-way repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: TAP caused more pronounced changes in dentin, but enamel color was also affected. Both protocols presented a similar ΔE(00), and dentin showed the greater color change. After exposure to TAP, we observed a reduction in WID; WID values were the same for bleached and control specimens regardless of protocol. We found no significant effect of substrate and bleaching technique on TP. Enamel played a more critical role in color changes caused by either staining or bleaching procedures. CONCLUSION: Enamel color played a greater role on tooth color changes than dentin. External and internal bleaching association did not improve bleaching effect on specimens stained with TAP.