Inside out teeth whitening

[Asha]

Hello

I have a tooth at the front which was root filled by my dentist last year. The tooth has started to discolour and now looks very dark compared to the rest of my teeth.

My dentist has recommended inside out teeth whitening to whiten this front tooth. I would like to ask a few questions regarding this type of whitening to see if its worth doing. Firstly how does inside out teeth whitening work? Is it the same as home teeth whitening with trays?

Secondly, what would I need to do if the inside out whitening did not work? Is it very likely to work or are there cases where this type of tooth whitening does not work?

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Hello Asha,

Thank you for your post. Inside outside teeth whitening is the process of bleaching the inside and the outside of a tooth to remove the deep discolorations that have formed. The treatment is similar to home whitening with trays and the difference is that bleaching gel is applied to the inside of the tooth as well as in the trays. The back of the discoloured tooth is opened and the root sealed. The bleach is then applied from the back by you and the trays worn as instructed for home teeth whitening.

It is worth giving inside out teeth whitening a try and seeing what results can be achieved. It is a conservative and safe treatment option for a very discoloured front tooth which has been root treated. The treatment works in most cases but it depends on the nature of the stains. Some stains are more resistant to bleaching and in such cases a crown would be necessary to mask the discoloration and restore the natural appearance of the tooth.

We would need to assess your teeth fully before any form of whitening treatments can be started. Whitening consultations are free and available 7 days a week at Pearl.