How To Whiten Your Teeth If You Already Have Porcelain Veneers

5 January 2021
 Categories: Dentist, Blog


Porcelain isn't porous like enamel. Unfortunately, this can become a problem if you wish to whiten your teeth uniformly. Because the whitening gel cannot penetrate porcelain as it can enamel, you can't change the color of porcelain veneers with whitening. This means that your natural teeth could end up whiter or darker than your porcelain veneers post-whitening.

Fortunately, you can avoid this issue if you take care when whitening. By whitening your teeth in the following way, you can ensure that the shade of your natural teeth matches that of your porcelain veneers.

Opt for In-office Whitening Instead of Home Whitening

Many people whiten their teeth at home because it is cheap and generally more convenient. But if you already have porcelain veneers, whitening at home is not a good idea. This is especially true if you are not experienced with teeth whitening. With an over-the-counter whitening kit, you can't effectively control how much you whiten your teeth. As such, your teeth might not match your veneers.

However, in-office whitening is a good way to match your whitened teeth to your porcelain veneers. Because a cosmetically trained dentist can plan your whitening treatment before they begin, they can attempt to whiten your teeth in stages. This gives them a better chance of matching your newly whitened teeth to your porcelain veneers.

Once a dentist has whitened your teeth, wait a day or so. During this time, your teeth will darken slightly, and then you'll be able to see if your whitened teeth are the same shade as your porcelain veneers.

Whiten Your Teeth First, Then Redo Your Veneers to Match Your Teeth

Because it is very difficult to whiten teeth to match existing porcelain veneers, dentists may recommend that you do whitening before you place your porcelain veneers. This allows the dentist to create a set of veneers that are the same shade as your whitened teeth. Your dentist will also have a record of your whitening session, and so will know how much to whiten your teeth in future.

However, if you already have veneers, and you cannot successfully whiten you teeth to match them, you'll need to replace your porcelain veneers. To do this, your dentist will remove your porcelain veneers, without damaging your teeth, and then create a new set that matches your whitened teeth.

 This will, however, take about a few weeks, so you'll need to avoid staining foods and drinks for best results. Contact a dentist for more information regarding teeth whitening.


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