Bleaching teeth treated endodontically: long-term evaluation of a case series

Abstract

The chromatic stability of nonvital discolored teeth, subjected to the combined intracoronal bleaching technique and to endodontic treatment, was evaluated at a distance of 16 yr (1989-2005). The series comprised 50 patients (age range 7-30 yr) selected from among those attending the Dental Clinic at "Federico II" University, Naples, between 1987 and 1989. After 16 yr, only 35 cases could be evaluated: in 22 of these cases (62.9%) the color had remained stable and was similar to that of adjacent teeth, indicating a successful outcome of the combined bleaching technique. There were 13 cases (37.1%) classified as failures because of marked color relapse. Radiology showed none of the cases re-examined to have undergone internal or external root resorption. These results confirm the validity of the combined intracoronal bleaching technique in terms of efficacy, rapid esthetic result, and safety.