Tamara Perić

Tooth Whitening in Young Patients: Indications, Safety, and Clinical Protocols

Modern society values the physical appearance highly, and children and adolescents are particularly sensitive to aesthetic concerns. As a result, aesthetic procedures are among the most frequently requested dental procedures for young patients. The colour of the teeth is determined by the combination of their intrinsic colour and the presence of external pigments at the surface of the teeth. Change in tooth colour can result from extrinsic stains, endogenous factors that affect teeth during their formation, trauma, endodontic treatment complications, oral diseases or conditions that involve the exposure of the inner layers of the tooth tissue, etc. Nowadays, various hydrogen or carbamide peroxide-based teeth whitening products are available for both professional and at-home use. Regardless of the method selected, professional monitoring is needed to ensure the desired aesthetic effect while minimizing the risk of adverse events. The appropriate treatment, or combination of treatments, is chosen based on the clinical appearance of the discoloration. The lecture will give an overview of tooth whitening procedures in children and adolescents, including their indications and contraindications. Specifics of various techniques will be discussed, along with their advantages, potential risks, and limitations associated with their use in paediatric patients.

Tamara Perić is a Professor at the University of Belgrade School of Dental Medicine. She graduated in 2001, defended her MSc thesis “Experimental and clinical evaluation of a chemo-mechanical system for removal of carious dentine” in 2005, and PhD thesis “Anticaries efficacy of calcium-phosphates in patients with salivary gland hypofunction” in 2011. She is a specialist in paediatric and preventive dentistry. The publications she has authored so far include more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals, over 170 conference papers, and 12 co-authored books, while she has also participated in 12 national and international scientific projects, and is a member of editorial boards for several peer-reviewed journals. She has carried out numerous organizational tasks and lectured at both international and national conferences. Her particular expertise is in prevention and non-invasive/minimally invasive treatment of dental caries, glass-ionomer cements, dental traumatology, and oral health research. For her work, Professor Perić was awarded the IADR Centennial Award for New Investigators (2020), the Award (2016) and Plaque (2018) of the Serbian Medical Society, and the 1st prize for Clinical Research at the 16th Congress of the IADT (2010). Professor Perić currently serves as President of Association of Paediatric and Preventive Dentists of Serbia.