Internal Bleaching in London

Internal tooth bleaching consists of the insertion of an oxidizing chemical substance into the tooth’s pulp. Before the actual bleaching agent is inserted, the area is cleaned, and the canals are sealed.

The internal bleaching gel has the same effect as the external bleaching products, but it acts from the inside of the tooth. The procedure can be performed as a self-standing procedure or correlated with external whitening procedures.

Why do teeth discolour?

In most cases, the cause of discolouration in non-vital teeth is the presence of broken-down parts of the tooth’s nerve. The main tooth nerve is surrounded by thousands of small dentine canals. When a tooth nerve dies – resulting in a non-vital tooth – small blood particles from the former tooth nerve accumulate in these canals, which can lead to discolouration of the tooth from the inside which compromises your smile. Even following root canal therapy around 10 per cent of patients are unhappy with the appearance of their root-filled tooth.

What are the options to cover a dark tooth?

There are several options to treat discoloured teeth:

• Crowns
• Ceramic veneers
• Composite veneers
• Use internal whitening alone using hydrogen peroxide or in combination with in-office chair side teeth whitening or home whitening to brighten the teeth

Veneers, partial crowns or full crowns can be used to enhance your smile, and change the shape and texture of the teeth. However, all these options require the removal of tooth tissue via a dental drill to prepare the tooth for the addition of a veneer, partial or full crown. An alternative can be to use dentist-led whitening procedures to improve your smile. In cases of root canal-treated teeth internal bleaching (or non-vital bleaching) can be used.

Teeth whitening or bleaching is one of the most common cosmetic dentistry treatments performed by a dentist or dental hygienist. Still, sometimes it might be difficult to get a good result with internal bleaching. Below you will find a detailed step-by-step description of how internal whitening is conducted successfully.

Examination and Preparation:
The dentist examines the discoloured tooth to confirm it’s suitable for internal whitening, usually requiring the need of an x-ray.

Isolation:
The tooth is isolated using a dental rubber dam to keep the area clean and dry during the procedure.

Access Creation:
A small hole is made in the back of the tooth to access the pulp chamber where the discolouration originates.

Cleaning and sealing:
The pulp chamber is thoroughly cleaned, and any debris or old filling material from the root canal is removed. A sealing barrier is then placed to ensure the root canal treatment is well protected.

Placement of Bleaching Agent:
A whitening agent, often containing hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, is placed inside the pulp chamber.

Temporary Seal:
The tooth is temporarily sealed with a dental filling to keep the bleaching agent in place while it works.

Waiting Period:
The bleaching agent is left in the tooth for a few days to a week, depending on the severity of discolouration.

Reassessment:
The dentist removes the temporary filling and checks the whitening progress. If needed, the process may be repeated.

Final Restoration:
Once the desired shade is achieved, the bleaching agent is removed, and the access hole is permanently sealed with a filling or restoration.