Effects of light irradiation on bleaching by a 3.5% hydrogen peroxide solution containing titanium dioxide

A low-concentration hydrogen peroxide solution containing titanium dioxide as a photocatalyst has attracted attention as a safe office bleaching agent. In this study, the influence of different kinds of light on the bleaching effect of this agent was examined. The bleaching agent was applied to hematoporphyrin-stained paper strips that were then irradiated with a 405-nm diode laser (800 mW/cm2), a halogen lamp (720 mW/cm2), or an LED (835 mW/cm2) for 5 minutes. The color was measured spectrophotometrically before treatment and every 30 seconds thereafter, and the effects of bleaching on the strip were assessed using the CIE 1976 L * a* b* color coordinate system. Of the three different irradiation conditions, 405-nm laser irradiation gave the strongest bleaching effect with 3.5% hydrogen peroxide containing titanium dioxide. The laser provides strong irradiance at 405 nm, which corresponds to the absorption range of the bleaching agent, and consequently the largest effect was obtained.