Can I Whiten My Teeth If I Have Fillings, Crowns or Veneers?

If some of your teeth are stained and you feel self-conscious about your appearance, you may be wondering if you are a good candidate for teeth whitening in Covington. But you may not be sure if it’s right for you, especially if you have a lot of dental work like tooth-colored fillings, dental crowns, or porcelain veneers. So, can you whiten your teeth if you have cosmetic or restorative dental work? Find out!

Teeth Whitening Will Not Whiten Any Existing Dental Work In Your Mouth

To understand why this is the case, you need to learn a bit more about how teeth whitening works. Basically, teeth whitening uses highly-reactive molecules called “peroxides.” These are absorbed into the pores in the outer surface of your teeth (enamel).

Then, when the whitening agent touches a stain, it reacts strongly to its presence, snapping the molecular bonds that hold it in place. The result? The stain is “bleached” away, whitening your smile and restoring the natural appearance of your enamel.

So, why doesn’t teeth whitening do anything to fillings, crowns, or veneers? Because the resin, porcelain, and other materials used for your dental work are not porous. In other words, the whitener can’t soak into the material and bleach away stains.

But the good news is that, since your dental work is not porous, stains usually can’t actually build up on the dental work. For example, if you have veneers, you may still get stains on your untreated teeth, or on the parts of your natural teeth that are not covered up by the veneer, but the veneer itself will not be stained or discolored.

… But You Can Still Whiten Your Teeth At Cornerstone Dentistry!

So, you can whiten your natural teeth, but not your dental work. Where does that leave you? Can you have your teeth whitened at Cornerstone Dentistry if you have fillings, crowns, or veneers?

The answer is “yes!” However, you need to work with an experienced cosmetic dentist like Dr. Keleigh Lascari. This is because you need to get a customized whitening treatment that will ensure you maintain an even, beautiful smile.

This can be a bit more difficult when you have dental work, because your whitening treatment must be matched to the color of your existing crowns, veneers, or fillings. You do not want to over whiten your teeth and make them brighter than your dental work, as this will lead to an uneven smile.

However, Dr. Lascari is an experienced cosmetic dentist in Covington, and can work with you to develop a customized treatment plan that will leave you with a beautiful, even, and natural-looking smile.

Contact Cornerstone Dentistry To Schedule An Appointment Today!

If you want to whiten your teeth in Covington but you have crowns, veneers, or multiple fillings, Dr. Lascari is here to help. To learn more and get your custom treatment plan, just contact us online or give us a call at (985) 869-8020. Dr. Lascari is always accepting new patients!