Internal Bleaching: lighten and whiten an individual tooth that has darkened
What is internal bleaching?
Internal bleaching is used to lighten and whiten a tooth that has turned grey and darker than the adjacent teeth. Teeth can turn grey or internally discolored when the pulp of a tooth becomes necrotic or sometimes even after endodontic treatment if necrotic pulp tissue remains in the crown of the tooth. Internal bleaching is a safe, non-invasive treatment option to restore a more natural color to your tooth and improve self confidence. Schedule an appointment with us today to discuss how we can help whiten your tooth.
1st Step of Internal Bleaching
Most commonly, a root canal must be done on the tooth prior to internal bleaching. If the root canal is already completed, we ensure that the root canal is sealed well with no signs of infection. If a root canal or retreatment is indicated we would complete that procedure prior to internal bleaching.
2nd Step of Internal Bleaching
Previous restorative material is removed inside the crown of your tooth and an orifice barrier (filling material) is placed directly over the root canal filling material (gutta-percha) to seal off the gutta-percha and root surface of the tooth from the bleaching material.
3rd Step of Internal Bleaching
The internal bleaching material is placed inside the crown of your tooth. A temporary filling is placed to seal in the bleaching material. An appointment is scheduled in 1 week to check the progression of the whitening.
Final Step of Internal Bleaching
After one week, if a satisfactory shade is reached, we will remove the bleaching material and place a new temporary restoration. If you the tooth has lightened but you want to try to lighten the tooth shade more, we will replace the bleaching material and schedule you back in 1 week for a 2nd shade check. Usually maximum lightening is achieved after two rounds of internal bleaching with no additional benefit with more bleaching. Once a satisfactory shade is reached, you will go back to your general dentist for final restorative treatment.
