Can You Whiten Porcelain Crowns?
When dental work was invented it allowed for people to have better looking smiles. When the invention of the whitening treatment came along, everyone wanted their smile to be whiter and brighter. However, whitening treatments and dental work are hard to mix together. Crowns especially are notoriously difficult to whiten, but if you want a whiter smile, and have crowns, there's still hope.
Surface Stains
Porcelain crowns are incredibly stain resistant. The surface of porcelain is mostly nonporous, so it makes it difficult for stains to stick to the surface of porcelain crowns. This nonporous nature makes it difficult for whitening treatments to penetrate the surface of the crown and whiten it. When your dentist has your crown made, it's made in a specific color that matches your tooth color at that point in time. But this doesn't mean all hope is lost.
Stains can appear on the surface of these crowns without being embedded in the crown itself. Think of smoking, coffee, and wine stains. These stains are often easily removed by having your dentist polish the surface of your teeth. However, if you have your teeth polished and your teeth aren't white enough after, things become more difficult.
Whitening Treatments When They Involve Crowns
If polishing doesn't do enough to whiten your teeth, there is still another option. Your dentist can perform whitening treatments like usual on your teeth. The trick to this is that your crowns will have to be exchanged for new crowns. The process will be the same as when you got your current set of crowns, only the new crowns will be made to match your current tooth color.
Another option is that your dentist can remove a small amount of the surface of your crown. After your dentist has sanded the surface of your crown, a veneer can be installed to match the color of your whitened teeth.
If you're in a position where you have yet to get your first set of crowns, the easiest thing to do would be to get your teeth whitened first. This ensures your crowns will match your teeth.
Talk To Your Dentist
If you have crowns, it may feel like whitening treatments may be off the table. You should talk to a dentist like Hyten David W DMD and create a treatment plan. The dentist will be able to clean and polish your teeth and prescribe further whitening treatments if you need them.
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