Can I Bleach My Teeth Without Damaging My Veneers?

I have four porcelain veneers that are very white. I asked for them to be that way because I wanted a nice white smile. The problem I have is that the teeth next to my veneers are pretty yellow. I was hoping to bleach them, but I’m worried that doing that could do some damage to my porcelain veneers. I really like having white teeth. What if I used something like Crest Whitestrips, which I’ve heard is weaker?

Bethan

Dear Bethan,

Most smiles are eight to ten teeth wide. When you only get four porcelain veneers, you will almost always have teeth that are darker than your veneers. Your dentist should have suggested that you have your teeth whitened before you have your porcelain veneers done. This way once your veneers are completed and bonded on, then your natural teeth will blend in with the smile makeover.

It’s not too late to do it now, but I would not waste your time with Crest Whitestrips. While they do work, they are significantly weaker than professional teeth whitening. It would take quite a long time to get any significant whitening out of them. To make it more challenging, the strips only cover the front six teeth, which means you’d either have to use two strips, one on each side of your veneers, or only the two teeth adjacent to your veneers will get any whitening.

I would have professional teeth whitening done. While the whitening gel will not harm your veneers, your dentist should be able to customize your bleaching trays in such a way that it goes around your veneers. This way only your natural teeth have any gel applied to them.

The longer you are able to tolerate the gel every day, the faster the teeth will whiten. Be aware that your teeth will continue to whiten for a week or two after you stop whitening. Because of that I would get it close to the color of your veneers and then see what it looks like after a couple of weeks. If you still want them whiter, you can always start back up.

This blog is brought to you by Nashville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. David Wickness.