The perception of tooth whitening practices during and after orthodontic treatment: A survey of orthodontists

BACKGROUND: At present, there are limited studies on how tooth whitening procedures are applied in orthodontic patients. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the perception of tooth whitening practices during and after orthodontic treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A survey of orthodontists in Medellín (Colombia) between January and October 2020 was carried out. The survey instrument was developed to obtain information regarding the perception and practices of tooth whitening during and after orthodontic treatment. RESULTS: 133 orthodontists with a mean age of 41,6 years old participated in the survey. Over 60% of participants reported >6 years of experience as orthodontist. The majority (99,2%) reported that their patients request tooth whitening. Of these, 71,2% refer the patient to another dental professional for the procedure while 28,8% administers it. More than half of orthodontists reported that their patients request dental whitening during orthodontic treatment. The majority (>90%) of orthodontists do not recommend tooth whitening during orthodontic treatment. Furthermore, >80% consider that tooth whitening is best recommended after brackets have been removed. CONCLUSIONS: Requests for tooth whitening from orthodontic patients is very frequent and most orthodontists favor the referral to another dental professional for the procedure. The majority do not recommend tooth whitening during orthodontic treatment and prefer waiting 1 to 3 months after brackets removal for the procedure. Key words:Tooth whitening, orthodontic treatment, brackets.