Dead tooth but already have lumineer placed. Do you not need a root canal to get internal bleaching done?

Question

I have a lumineer on my number 10 tooth and for some reason or another my real tooth died two years after the placement. Now my tooth is dark and it even shows thru the lumineer. My dentist recommend internal bleaching, but he said the only way to do that is while he is doing a root canal. for some reason I hear that you don't need a root canal to get internal bleaching done? is that right?

Lori Ross Tijerino, DDS · Answer

Hi There, so sorry to hear about your tooth! Internal bleaching it a procedure that is done on a nonvital (dead) tooth. When it is done the whitening gel is placed into the pulp chamber space so it can whiten from the inside out. To complete this safely and effectively the tooth definitely should have already had a root canal!

David M. Schertzer, DDS · Answer

Internal bleaching is done by opening an access hole through the back side of the tooth and extending the hole down to about the gum level (but still inside the tooth).  If you do not have a root canal on that tooth there would most likely be a nerve exposure that would cause you to require one.  In addition, when doing the internal bleaching, there needs to be a seal at both ends for it to be successful, this is only accomplished with the tooth having a root canal prior to the whitening procedure.  Also, something to keep in mind is that there is no guarantee that the underlying color changes to were the lumineer matches the surrounding teeth.  This is also not a permanent fix, you will need to have this redone periodically.  Another option to keep in mind for the future is to restore it with an all ceramic crown that could block out the underlying shade of the tooth altogether.

Robert L. Knudson, DDS · Answer

You need a root canal to get the dead stuff out of the tooth to start with.  It will keep getting darker and likely abcess on you.  Internal bleaching is done after that by leaving the access hole for the root canal open, you squirting a little home whitening gel inside that hole, and then putting on a regular whitening tray )  Don't bleach other teeth at this time.  The whitening tray is simply to hold the gel for a couple of hours or overnight.  Do not have the dentist do what is called a walking bleach.  The chemicals used in that have been shown to increase the incidence of resorption of the tooth.

Dead tooth but already have lumineer placed. Do you not need a root canal to get internal bleaching done?

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Everything you need to know about Internal Tooth Bleaching

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Dead tooth but already have lumineer placed. Do you not need a root canal to get internal bleaching done?

Answers (3)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Internal Tooth Bleaching

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.