Objective: To investigate the antibacterial effect of two commercially available bleaching agents in vivo.
Materials and Methods: 30 volunteers were divided into 3 groups, a control group (chlorhexidine) and 2 treatment groups (Nite White ACP and Nite White ACP Turbo bleaching gels). Stimulated whole saliva samples were collected at baseline, after 1 and 3 applications and 14 days post-treatment. Total count of aerobic bacteria was determined.
Results: For all groups there was a statistically significant decrease in mean count of aerobic bacteria compared to baseline through all periods of the study. After 1 application and
3 applications, there was no statistically significant difference between mean percentage reductions in bacterial counts of the three groups. After 14 days, Nite White ACP Turbo showed the statistically significantly highest mean percentage reduction, followed by Nite White ACP group, then the control group.
Conclusion: Bleaching agents can reduce the total count of aerobic bacteria in saliva in vivo.