Internal, or non-vital, bleaching is used to lighten a darkly discolored tooth that has had root canal therapy.  Internal discoloration can be caused by hemorrhage inside tooth due to trauma, infection (abscess) or certain types of medications.

Unlike external bleaching, which brightens teeth from the outside in; internal bleaching brightens teeth from the inside out. The process of internal bleaching is minimally invasive, yet needs to be performed by a dentist. The original root canal access is utilized to minimize additional tooth structure involvement. A chemical oxidizing solution is placed within the tooth to remove discoloration. A temporary filling is then placed. The solution is typically left in the tooth for one week. Depending on degree of discoloration, the procedure may need to be repeated. Once desired bleaching has been achieved, the bleaching agent is removed and the tooth is restored with a permanent tooth colored filling.

Internal bleaching is a simple, yet effective, alternative to covering teeth with crowns or veneers in order to obtain a lighter tooth shade.  For more information on internal bleaching, call Cenla Dentistry at (318) 640-3200.