Effect of several bleaching agents on teeth stained with a resin-based sealer

AIM: To evaluate the effect of peroxide-based bleaching agents on teeth stained with AH26 sealer (Dentsply De Trey, Konstanz, Germany), using digital images and computer analysis. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-five maxillary central incisors were root filled, and the internal walls of the access cavity were coated with AH26 sealer. Internal bleaching commenced 4 months after the root fillings. In three experimental groups (n = 10), the teeth were bleached for 21 days using 45% carbamide peroxide (CP) gel, 45% sodium perborate + carbamide peroxide (SP + CP) or sodium perborate + distilled water (SP + W). No bleaching was undertaken in the control group. Digital images of each specimen were made before treatment, 4 months after endodontic treatment and 2 weeks after bleaching. Colour differences (∆E) were calculated by determining L*a*b* values using digital images and imaging software. Differences between the original colour and sealer-stained teeth, between sealer-stained and bleached teeth and between original colour and bleached teeth were calculated. Data were analysed using one-way anova and Duncan tests (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Colour differences between baseline and sealer staining were in the range of 8.1-9.9, but differences between the groups were not significant. After bleaching, the degree of lightening was essentially identical for the carbamide peroxide and sodium perborate + carbamide peroxide groups, but was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in these two groups than in the sodium perborate + water group. CONCLUSION: For bleaching AH26 sealer-stained teeth, carbamide peroxide gel and carbamide peroxide gel mixed with sodium perborate were equally effective and significantly better than sodium perborate mixed with water.