This study's purpose was to make an in vitro assessment of 2 whitening techniques in primary teeth, regarding color and temperature surface variation, during dental bleaching using different catalytic sources. Twenty-one extracted human upper central deciduous incisors were used in this in vitro study. The teeth were darkened with human blood for a period of 21 days. After preparing the teeth, they were randomly distributed into 2 groups, according to bleaching source of activation: (1) a diode laser (DL) group; and (2) a halogen lamp (HL) group. The bleaching process was performed, according to the manufacturer's guidelines, using Whiteness HP (FGM, Joinville, Brazil). The color was assessed by spectrophotometer (CIELab) and the VITA scale (3M) before and immediately after tooth whitening. The temperature increase in the radicular surface during the bleaching was registered with a thermographic camera ThermaCAM SC 3000 (Flir Systems, Danderyd, Sweden) at the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN-CNEN (São Paulo, Brazil). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of color changes, but there was a statistically significant difference for temperature variation. The use of a diode laser and halogen lamp both promoted whitening in devitalized primary teeth in vitro. As a catalytic source of energy, the diode laser--with the applied parameters--promoted a smaller temperature increase compared to the halogen lamp during the bleaching procedure on nonvital primary teeth.