Efficacy of 10 percent Carbamide Peroxide as an Intracoronal Bleaching Agent in Nonvital Discolored Primary Teeth: An In Vitro Study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate, in vitro, the efficacy of 10 percent carbamide peroxide used as an intracoronal bleaching agent in blood-stained primary teeth.

METHODS: Thirty extracted primary canines were stained using rabbit blood and randomly divided into two groups of 15 teeth each. Stained teeth in the test group were bleached intracoronally using 10 percent carbamide peroxide for 21 days. The bleaching agent was replaced at days seven and 14. The control group was not subjected to bleaching, and a cotton pellet damped with distilled water was placed in the pulp chamber. Shade alteration from the prestaining value was evaluated using a VITA Easyshade spectrophotometer at days zero, seven, 14, and 21.

RESULTS: All specimens in the test group returned to the initial baseline shade, with no significant differences from the prestaining values (P=0.097). Teeth in the control group did not undergo any shade alteration after staining, with no significant differences noted from the prestaining values (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Intracoronal bleaching using 10 percent carbamide peroxide is an effective approach for whitening discolored extracted primary teeth.