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Tooth Whitening pp 169–197Cite as

Intracoronal Whitening of Endodontically Treated Teeth

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Abstract

Several techniques have been used within the last 170 years to lighten discolored endodontically treated teeth. Internal whitening or intracoronal whitening offers some advantages over more invasive treatments, as: (1) it is relatively easy to carry out; (2) it involves the removal of minimal tooth structure; and (3) the cost of treatment is low compared to that of other restorative options including full- and partial-coverage restorations.

The whitening techniques currently used to lighten darkened endodontically treated teeth are based on the release of active oxygen inside the pulp chamber and subsequent diffusion into the dentinal tubules. Hydrogen peroxide in a concentration of approximately 30–35 % and/or sodium perborate have been the chemicals most often used as oxygen sources. The prognosis of intracoronal whitening is good for discolorations of endodontically treated teeth caused by necrotic pulp tissue or blood components, with a short-term success rate of 50–90 %. However, the long-term success rate is considerably lower, as some color regression may occur after the initial bleaching effect.

Undesirable side effects of intracoronal whitening include occasional external cervical resorption and, more rarely, ankylosis. External cervical resorption has been often associated with anterior teeth that had been endodontically treated as a result of traumatic injury in young patients. Other side effects, such as alteration of enamel morphology and decrease in physical characteristics of enamel and dentin, are minimal and transient according to some authors, or inexistent according to other authors. This chapter will review the clinical techniques and provide step-by-step guidelines for the dental professional to carry out internal whitening of endodontically treated teeth.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The terms “whitening” and “bleaching” are used interchangeably in the literature.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Operative Dentistry, Department of Restorative Sciences, University of Minnesota, 515 SE Delaware St, 8-450 Moos Tower, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Jorge Perdigão DMD, MS, PhD

  2. Private Practice, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

    Andressa Ballarin DDS

  3. Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain

    George Gomes DMD, MSD

  4. Department of Endodontics, University of Lisbon School of Dentistry, Cidade Universitária, Lisbon, Portugal

    António Ginjeira MD, DMD, PhD

  5. Private Practice, Lisbon, Portugal

    Filipa Oliveira DMD

  6. Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

    Guilherme C. Lopes DDS, MS, PhD

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  1. Jorge Perdigão DMD, MS, PhD
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  2. Andressa Ballarin DDS
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  3. George Gomes DMD, MSD
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  4. António Ginjeira MD, DMD, PhD
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  5. Filipa Oliveira DMD
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  6. Guilherme C. Lopes DDS, MS, PhD
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Correspondence to Jorge Perdigão DMD, MS, PhD .

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  1. University of Minnesota, MINNEAPOLIS, USA

    Jorge Perdigão

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Perdigão, J., Ballarin, A., Gomes, G., Ginjeira, A., Oliveira, F., Lopes, G.C. (2016). Intracoronal Whitening of Endodontically Treated Teeth. In: Perdigão, J. (eds) Tooth Whitening. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-38849-6_8

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