Contemporary Tooth Whitening: Mechanisms, Efficacy, Safety, and Emerging Approaches

Tooth whitening remains one of the most sought-after interventions in aesthetic dentistry and continues to attract strong interest from clinicians, researchers, industry, and patients alike. Over the past decade, the field has expanded well beyond conventional peroxide-based protocols to include novel delivery systems, remineralizing and desensitizing adjuncts, non-peroxide approaches, light-activated techniques, and material-driven strategies designed to improve efficacy, comfort, and predictability. At the same time, the evidence base has become broader but also more complex. Questions remain around biological mechanisms, meaningful outcome measures, comparative effectiveness across protocols, effects on dental tissues and restorative materials, patient-centered outcomes, and the long-term stability and safety of treatment.This Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date platform for the science and clinical practice of tooth whitening. It will bring together high-quality contributions that examine whitening from mechanistic, translational, materials-based, and clinical perspectives. We are particularly interested in work that helps clarify how whitening treatments act at the molecular, structural, and optical levels; how outcomes should be measured and interpreted; and how clinicians can balance cosmetic benefit with tissue preservation, patient comfort, and long-term oral health.A central goal of this collection is to connect preventive dentistry with dental materials and biomaterials research. Tooth whitening now sits at the intersection of aesthetics, tissue response, restorative care, and patient experience. As such, there is clear value in a collection that addresses not only colour change and treatment success, but also enamel and dentin response, pulpal implications, post-treatment sensitivity, surface alteration, mineral balance, and the compatibility of whitening protocols with adhesive, prosthetic, and restorative materials. Studies that bridge laboratory evidence with clinical relevance will be especially welcome.The topic is also intended to capture emerging directions in the field. These include new formulations and delivery vehicles, bioactive and biomimetic adjuncts, minimally invasive approaches, digital and instrumental methods for colour assessment, personalised or risk-adapted treatment planning, and comparative studies that help define where newer techniques add value over established care. We welcome submissions that move beyond product-level claims and instead offer robust evidence on efficacy, mechanism, safety, durability, and real-world applicability.Importantly, this collection seeks to attract work that strengthens standards in whitening research. The current literature still shows variability in study design, follow-up duration, colour measurement methods, reporting of sensitivity, and assessment of adverse effects. Contributions that improve methodological consistency, examine clinically meaningful endpoints, and help inform evidence-based protocols will be of strong interest. Well-designed negative or neutral studies are also valuable where they help refine understanding of what does and does not work under specific conditions.This Research Topic welcomes original research, clinical studies, translational investigations, in vitro and in situ studies, systematic and scoping reviews, meta-analyses, methods papers, and perspective articles. By bringing together diverse forms of evidence, the collection aims to offer a meaningful reference point for clinicians, researchers, and educators working to define the next phase of tooth whitening science and practice.Themes of interest may include, but are not limited to: • fundamental mechanisms underlying whitening and stain removal • peroxide-based, non-peroxide, and hybrid whitening systems • diffusion, reactivity, and substrate-related factors affecting treatment performance • optical versus chemical mechanisms of perceived tooth colour change • colour assessment methods, shade analysis, digital imaging, and instrumental evaluation • in vitro, in situ, translational, and clinical models for whitening research • comparative effectiveness of in-office, dentist-supervised home, and over-the-counter approaches • short-term and long-term efficacy, colour stability, rebound, relapse, and retreatment • tooth sensitivity, pulpal response, inflammatory pathways, and pain mitigation strategies • effects of whitening on enamel, dentin, cementum, surface roughness, microhardness, permeability, and mineral content • bioactive, remineralizing, desensitizing, and biomimetic adjuncts used alongside whitening • light-assisted, laser-assisted, and other energy-based whitening approaches • novel delivery systems, gels, varnishes, strips, trays, microencapsulation, and controlled-release technologies • whitening in the presence of restorations, sealants, orthodontic materials, adhesives, ceramics, composites, and other dental materials • implications for restorative replacement, shade matching, and post-whitening restorative workflows • whitening protocols for different age groups, risk profiles, and clinical scenarios • patient-reported outcomes, satisfaction, adherence, expectations, and quality of life • safety, regulation, professional guidance, and ethical considerations in aesthetic whitening care • standardisation of study design, outcome reporting, and evidence synthesis in whitening research • future directions in minimally invasive, personalised, and materials-informed whitening strategies Topic editors: YOUNG SEOK PARK, Guang Hong Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80200/contemporary-tooth-whitening-mechanisms-efficacy-safety-and-emerging-approaches