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Internal Tooth Whitening
What is Internal Tooth Whitening?
This type of tooth whitening technique is used for a discoloured front tooth which has previously had a root canal treatment and may not be affected by the typical whitening process.
A dentist will firstly very carefully assess your tooth to make sure that the type of discolouration is suitable for internal tooth whitening. An X-ray of the tooth will make sure that the root canal filling is of a high quality.
It is vital that a good seal between the top of the tooth and the root is in place for internal tooth whitening to be appropriate. A photograph of your tooth will be taken and a shade guide used to correctly judge the shade.
Once the dentist is satisfied that the tooth is a suitable candidate for internal tooth whitening, a small hole will be created in the back of your tooth and the top of the root canal filling exposed. An impervious lining will be placed over this and then a special whitening gel will be carefully placed into the tooth. A tooth coloured filling material will be used to close the hole.
Normally the dentist will assess your tooth after one or two days. It is common for the gel to require replacement two or three times to achieve the required whitening effect. In some cases it is not possible to completely lighten the tooth to match its neighbours. The dentist will discuss other treatment options with you if this is the case.
Once your tooth is whitened, a light tooth coloured permanent filling will be placed in the hole to seal the tooth.