What is internal bleaching?

Non-vital, or internal, bleaching is a procedure used to lighten a tooth that has darkened after trauma or root canal treatment. Instead of whitening the outside of the tooth, a bleaching material is placed inside the tooth to improve its color from within. This treatment may be appropriate for select root canal-treated teeth after careful evaluation.

Close-up of front teeth showing before and after internal bleaching, with the upper image depicting a discolored tooth and the lower image showing brighter, whitened tooth.