Teeth Whitening for Root Canal Treated Teeth

Whitening of teeth that have undergone root canal treatment and have changed color is performed by a dentist in a clinical setting. Such tooth discolorations occur when capillary blood vessels located in the coronal part of the tooth rupture after severe trauma, and blood cells enter the dentin tubules, causing discoloration due to the presence of Fe-sulfide (iron sulfide). In rare cases where the tooth remains vital, the color may return to normal spontaneously. However, if the tooth becomes necrotic (non-vital), no improvement in color occurs. In such cases, the tooth is whitened using bleaching agents applied to the pulp chamber following root canal treatment.

In the first session, a cavity is prepared on the palatal (tongue-facing) side of the tooth, similar to a filling procedure, and the whitening agent is placed into this cavity, which is then sealed with a temporary filling. After approximately 2–3 days, the tooth color is checked. If sufficient whitening has been achieved, the procedure is completed. If further whitening is desired—meaning the achieved shade has not yet matched the neighboring tooth—the whitening agent is reapplied inside the tooth, and the process is repeated after waiting another 2–3 days.