What Is Internal Teeth Bleaching?
Dentists perform more than 15 million root canals each year. That is 41,000 every day. If you’ve had a root canal procedure, you may notice your tooth is starting to darken. Don’t worry — internal bleaching can fix the discoloration.
Here at the Charlotte Root Canal Center, we take pride in helping people get the smile they want. If you have tooth discoloration as a result of a root canal, we can help you smile again too.
What is internal teeth bleaching?
During the root canal procedure, your tooth is vulnerable to contaminants. Blood, bacteria, and saliva can enter the tooth.
As the bacteria and other contaminants break down down within the tooth, they also darken. The only way to fix it is with internal teeth bleaching.
You cannot bleach your teeth from the outside and expect it to resolve this problem. You need a minor surgical procedure to get inside the tooth to lighten it.
How is internal bleaching different from external whitening?
Traditional teeth whitening is not the same as internal teeth bleaching. Internal bleaching is reserved for teeth that have had a root canal. You may have heard your dentist refer to it as a devitalized tooth.
External whitening only bleaches your teeth from the outside. This procedure can be done in a dentist's office or at home with custom-fit trays.
How we bleach the inside of your tooth
The first step for any dental procedure is a consultation. Request an appointment by calling or using our online scheduler. You meet with Ramesh K. Sunar, DMD, at Charlotte Root Canal Center so he can assess the cause of your tooth’s discoloration. Dr. Sunar has over 15 years of experience and is an expert in the field of endodontics.
If he confirms that you do not need further treatment, he can begin the whitening process. Dr. Sunar takes an intellectual and compassionate approach to dentistry. He wants to ensure you get the results you want and to prevent future complications.
Once he confirms that you need internal bleaching, he records the shade of your tooth. This allows him to track your progress.
When beginning the procedure, Dr. Sunar isolates and cleans the tooth. He puts a rubber dam on the tooth to prevent further contamination during the procedure. After all, you don’t want to bleach your tooth only to end up with a discolored tooth again in the future.
At this point, Dr. Sunar soothes your gums with an anesthetic cream to ensure your comfort throughout the procedure. He opens your tooth from the backside and removes all of the decayed material that is causing your tooth to yellow or appear dark.
Once he has cleaned your tooth, Dr. Sunar applies a bleaching agent to the space within your tooth. This bleaching agent stays in your tooth for two to three days. When you return to Dr. Sunar for a follow-up appointment, he removes the bleaching agent.
During this visit, Dr. Sunar assesses the progress and determines if you need another bleaching treatment to achieve the best results. He may recommend you stop treatment if he notices any complications.
Are there any risks?
This procedure is quite safe, but there are some very minor risks. After treatment, some patients experience slight discomfort or pain from the bleaching agent. If this happens, reach out to our office immediately.
Smile with confidence again
When you receive a root canal, it is usually a necessary procedure due to a damaged or decayed tooth. The last thing you are thinking about is the potential for that tooth to discolor in the future. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happens sometimes.
At Charlotte Root Canal Center, we pride ourselves on performing high-quality dentistry. We want our patients to be happy with our work for years to come. So if you are struggling with an embarrassing discolored tooth, we can help.
Request an appointment today at Charlotte Root Canal Center with internal teeth bleaching specialist Ramesh K. Sunar.