ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the trauma process and outlines the process taken to whiten a single vital tooth. The tooth normally has sustained some type of mild trauma previously; typically, a single tooth has been knocked. The blood within the tooth breaks down and the hemolysis releases iron, which reacts with hydrogen sulfide, which breaks down to iron sulfide. The whole tooth should be present on the radiograph and there should be no evidence of any type of fracture in the tooth, either in the crown or in the root. The usual process is that a minor trauma causes some type of bleeding within the tooth. Most of the literature does not support endodontic intervention unless periradicular pathosis is detected or the involved tooth becomes symptomatic. A full-arch tray is made and then a window is cut adjacent to the dark tooth on either side of the tooth to be whitened.
