Impact of At-Home Dental Bleaching on Quality of Life Using OHIP-14

Clinical Evaluation of Color Changes (CIELAB),Whiteness Index (WID), and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHIP-14) Following At-home Dental Bleaching: A Prospective Clinical Study

This prospective clinical study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of an at-home dental bleaching protocol and its impact on oral health-related quality of life using objective color measurements and patient-reported outcomes. Changes in tooth color will be assessed using CIELAB parameters (L*, a*, b*) and the Whiteness Index for Dentistry (WID), while quality of life will be evaluated using the OHIP-14 questionnaire.

Tooth bleaching is a widely used minimally invasive treatment for improving dental aesthetics. Objective evaluation of color changes is essential and is commonly performed using the CIELAB color space and derived indices such as the Whiteness Index for Dentistry (WID).

This study will be designed as a prospective, non-randomized before-after clinical trial to evaluate the clinical efficacy of an at-home dental bleaching protocol and its effect on tooth color. The protocol will consist of the at-home application of 16% carbamide peroxide delivered through custom trays for six weeks, with one daily application lasting 90 minutes.

The primary objectives of this study will be to quantify color changes and bleaching effectiveness, as well as to evaluate oral health-related quality of life and the subjective impact of treatment. Additional analyses will include a detailed assessment of the behavior of the individual CIELAB parameters and their variation during treatment, the analysis of correlations between WID and the individual color parameters, and the evaluation of oral health-related quality of life using the OHIP-14 questionnaire.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between 20 and 40 years
• Healthy gums and periodontal condition
• No oral diseases
• No previous dental bleaching treatment
• No restorations in anterior teeth
• Ability to attend follow-up visits
• Willingness to follow the study instructions

Exclusion Criteria:

• Smoking
• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• Medical conditions that could affect bleaching treatment
• Use of medications that could interfere with bleaching treatment
• Inability to comply with scheduled appointments