Intracoronal bleaching, also known as internal bleaching, is a whitening treatment for tooth discoloration caused by problems inside a tooth. This discoloration can be caused by severe tooth decay or a traumatic dental injury. It may also develop due to age or as a side effect of treatment.
Internal tooth discoloration cannot be treated with standard teeth whitening treatments. If professional teeth whitening does not improve your tooth discoloration, you should seek intracoronal bleaching at Prime Endodontics.
What Causes Yellow Teeth?
Several things can cause your teeth to become stained or turn yellow. Some of the most common things include:
- Coffee and tea
- Smoking
- Certain medications
- Genetics
- Aging
- Poor dental hygiene habits
- Tooth infections
The Difference Between Intracoronal Bleaching and Teeth Whitening
Professional teeth whitening and internal bleaching are two distinct techniques with the same end goal, namely to eliminate discoloration and make the teeth whiter. These two procedures, however, are vastly different.
Professional teeth whitening employs a special bleaching solution or laser equipment to remove stains from the enamel or exterior of your teeth. This type of teeth whitening treatment is readily available and non-invasive. It is even possible to do it at home. Intracoronal bleaching is a more complex teeth whitening procedure that works from the inside out to improve the color of your teeth.
The Process of Intracoronal Bleaching
Internal bleaching is performed to lighten a deeply stained tooth that has undergone root canal therapy. To eliminate tooth discoloration, a chemical oxidizing agent is placed within the coronal region of the tooth.
This procedure is performed at the endodontist's office using a technique called "chair-side bleaching." Bleach crystals are inserted within the tooth, left for some time, and then removed. Depending on the severity of the tooth discoloration, the procedure may be performed once or several times.
Who Can Benefit From Intracoronal Bleaching?
Following a consultation with our endodontist, we can help you determine if you could benefit from intracoronal bleaching. Our endodontist recommends this procedure for tooth discoloration that arises inside the tooth following root canal therapy.
However, our endodontist evaluates who may benefit from this treatment individually as intracoronal bleaching is not appropriate for everyone.