Internal bleaching – Serenity International Dental Clinic

Internal bleaching procedures are performed on devitalized teeth that have already undergone a root canal treatment, but are discolored with time due to internal staining.

Unlike external bleaching, which brightens teeth from the outside in, internal bleaching brightens teeth from the inside out, until the desired result is achieved. This treatment is usually completed within two visits here at Serenity International Dental Clinic.

The Zoom! bleaching gel contains 25% of Hydrogen Perioxide. Upon exposure of a special light, it will be activated and broken down into oxygen. Oxygen enters the enamel and dentin, take the colored substances away without changing any structure of the teeth. There are many rumors that whitening teeth with Zoom! could destroy the enamel and harm the overall well-being of your tooth. However, this is absolutely not true. Extensive research and clinical studies indicate that Zoom whitening under the supervision of a dentist is safe. Indeed, Zoom! whitening is widely considered as the safest cosmetic dental procedures among dentists in Vietnam.

So, what causes tooth discoloration?

There are many different causes that make your teeth discolored. However, they could be categories as below:

Extrinsic causes: extrinsic discoloration happens at the outermost layer – the enamel. This includes discoloration caused by your diet e.g. red wine, ketchup, tomato sauce, coffee, tea, etc. or your habit e.g. smoking. If your teeth are extrinsically discolored, it could be easily whitened with the power of Zoom! WhiteSpeed Whitening.
Intrinsic causes: intrinsic discoloration happens at the inner layer of the tooth i.e. the dentin. This happened during the formation process due to certain reasons such as excessive use of certain antibiotic (tetracycline stained), or excessive exposure to fluoride (in the water). Teeth that are intrinsically stained are hard to be whitened and you should consult your cosmetic dentist for more information.

How does internal bleaching work?

There are different processes for internal bleaching, depending on whether the tooth in question is stained because of prior root canal treatment, or because it’s in need of root canal treatment.

If a tooth requires a root canal treatment, your doctor would conduct surgery on the tooth in the typical fashion, excavating the tooth’s pulpal chamber of dead or dying tissues, and preparing it for a crown or temporary filling. So, in this instance, prior to applying the temporary filling, you doctor would first deposit a bleaching agent to alter the tooth’s color from the inside-out. Typically, this solution is allowed to remain within the tooth for a period of up to 2 weeks to obtain maximum results, after which you’ll return to the office for an exam to see how things progressed.

The bleaching process differs dramatically if the tooth is discolored because of a prior root canal treatment. In these cases, the process generally only requires the drilling of a small access hole to the tooth by which the doctor can insert a cotton pellet soaked with the bleaching agent. In this scenario, the pellet would also remain within the tooth for some time. Additionally, a patient may be sent home with bleaching trays to further encourage thorough whitening.