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Can Fake Teeth be Whitened?

Posted on by smiles4u.

I have two fake lateral incisors on a retainer that I wear, but I am planning on getting permanent implants within the next couple of years. In the meantime, my natural teeth are noticeably yellow and I’d like to whiten them. Can I whiten my fake teeth?

— Mark in PA

Mark,

Unfortunately only natural teeth whiten. For the process to work, the whitening agent must come in contact with a live surface – like that of a natural tooth – and open the pores in the enamel to reach the dentin. The oxygen in the whitening agent then penetrates the dentin layer where more whitening takes place and makes it last. That means things like crowns or porcelain veneers cannot be whitened.

If you’re planning on getting implants, we recommend bleaching your teeth about a month before your porcelain crowns are placed. Your dentist will be able to match your new crowns to the new tooth color. If you want to whiten now, a new retainer will need to be made to match your new tooth color. You’ll need to decide if it is worth the cost to do it right now and then also pay for implants later. If you do whiten now, be sure to do a quick touch up right before your crowns are made.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about Find out why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

Can I Whiten My Teeth Too Much?

Posted on by smiles4u.

I need some advice on retouching my bleached teeth — I used Opalescence 20% PF. How many weeks should I touch up and how many hours each day? I don’t want a “glow-in-the-dark” white smile, but I do want to maintain my desired whiteness. I will also be having some crowns placed in the near future and wonder if I should stop whitening a certain length of time before my appointment to ensure a correct color match?

Sara in Georgia

Sara,
As with Opalescence 20% PF and most other brands of bleaching gel, there are no specific answers on how long you should touch up. When talking about crown matching, your dentist should be able to answer these questions for you, and if not, you should have some concerns. Many dentists today are not true cosmetic dental artists, so your desire to achieve a beautiful smile could be in jeopardy if your dentist lacks the skills needed for true cosmetic dentistry.

Can you whiten your teeth too much? There is no clear answer on that because the pace of whitening slows the more you do it, but the teeth will keep getting whiter. Your dentist should ask you several questions in determining what is best option for you:

  • How satisfied you are with the current color?
  • How much did you bleach them?
  • Have your teeth darkened much since the initial whitening?
  • What would you consider to be their ideal whiteness?

Teeth sensitivity will more often than not determine when and how long you whiten your teeth. If you are not experiencing sensitivity, bleach as long as you can. Bleaching overnight is ideal because the gel will typically last all night since your mouth produces less saliva. If you have to bleach during the day, you’ll have to add gel several times because saliva can get into the trays and wash it out. Just be sure you can get at least 20-30 minutes of bleaching time in because that is now long it takes for the gel to soak into the tooth.

Before any color-matching is done on your new crowns, you’ll want to be sure to have stopped whitening approximately two weeks prior. The secret to teeth whitening is in the peroxide gel releasing tiny bubbles of pure oxygen within your tooth, oxidizing the stains and darker colors. These little oxygen bubbles need time to disperse in order to get a true color. If you are doing eight front teeth, the color of the back teeth and the lower teeth just need to be a close match, so a week would be sufficient. If you need an exact color match of a front tooth with a crown matched to another front tooth with natural enamel, you need to wait the full two weeks. If your dentist cannot easily articulate this information to you, you should rethink whether or not f this is the best dentist to give you a new smile.

Remember, your teeth will pick up stains from food or drinks like coffee, tea, berries, etc. Typically, whitening for 2-3 days for an hour/day once every year or two should help you maintain that bright white bleached color.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Find out why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

 

How to whiten my teeth fast with out a dentist?

Posted on by AllSmiles.

I am in my sister’s wedding in 3 weeks. I am her maid of honor. I want to get my teeth really white. I need to get it done fast. How can I do it without a dentist? – Kelli C.

Kelli – You can whiten your teeth without the assistance of a dentist, but you may not get the brilliantly white smile you want.

If you choose over-the-counter whitening strips that contain carbamide peroxide, they will whiten your teeth. Carbamide peroxide breaks down the stains in your teeth. You won’t be able to find over-the-counter gel with the same strength you can receive from a dentist. It will take two to three weeks to a bright smile.

Dentists provide professional-strength gel that will give you the brightest smile. In-office treatment will whiten your smile within an hour. Take-home treatment will whiten your teeth in about two weeks, but it will be significantly whiter than the results from over-the-counter products.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune, whom many people consider to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

What whitening toothpaste is the best on the market that i should buy?

Posted on by AllSmiles.

Jordan – All brands of whitening toothpaste only remove surface stains from your teeth, if they help at all. Whitening toothpaste doesn’t stay on your teeth long enough to penetrate them, nor are they strong enough to remove deep stains.

Whitening strips are only ¼ to ½ the strength of the whitening gel you would receive from your dentists.

In addition to take-home treatment with customized trays that help the whitening gel stay on your teeth, many dentists offer in-office treatment. Zoom® whitening is done in the dentist’s office and will give you a brilliant smile within an hour.

Many people want to brighten their teeth at home, but toothpastes and whitening strips won’t give you great results, if they help at all.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Find out why patients consider him to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

How can I correctly whiten my teeth before receiving porcelain crowns?

Posted on by AllSmiles.

Hi, I am getting 4 new crowns in January. I have used Opalescence for whitening my teeth. I want to get my teeth to right as far as whitening is concerned before I get the crowns. Will you please tell me how many weeks I should do the touch up and how long I should keep the gel on each time? Also I know the whitening keeps working for a while after I stop the touch up, so should I give it a few weeks to take affect before my appointment or what is the right amount of time? – Tonya Miller

Tonya – It concerns us that you didn’t receive details from your dentist on how to effectively whiten your teeth before you receive your crowns. An excellent cosmetic dentist would have discussed teeth whitening with you in detail as part of your treatment plan.

How long you should do your touch-up depends on how white you want your teeth to be. Your teeth will become increasingly whiter, the longer you do the touch-up. The pace of the whitening will get slower, but your teeth will continue to brighten.

How long you leave the gel on with each touch-up treatment depends on how sensitive your teeth are to the bleaching gel. For daytime whitening, you should leave the gel on at least 20 to 30 minutes. If you sleep with the whitening trays on your teeth, the gel is less inhibited by saliva slow while you sleep, and the whitening will be even more effective.

Oxygen bubbles from the bleaching gel continue to whiten your teeth for approximately two weeks after your touch-up treatment is complete. Complete the touch-up at least two full weeks before receiving your porcelain crowns.

Touch-ups are needed every year or two to keep your smile bright. Certain food and drink like coffee, tea, and berries can stain your teeth, so the touch-ups will remove the stains.

A dentist with strong cosmetic dentistry credentials will ensure that your touch-ups are correctly done before you receive your crowns. He or she will also ensure that your crowns perfectly match your natural teeth.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune of Metairie.

Is a sonic toothbrush good for teeth whitening?

Posted on by AllSmiles.

At my last dental appointment, I got a coupon for $10 off a sonic toothbrush. I’m thinking about trying it as an alternative to the $300 that it would cost to get my teeth whitened by my dentist. I know that the toothbrush isn’t cheap either but I might save $150 or so because I’m hoping that with time the toothbrush will get my teeth whiter. Will it help? – Rinaldo P. from New Orleans

Rinaldo,

The toothbrush will get your teeth cleaner, but if you want to whiten them, the best way to do so is with teeth whitening from your dentist.

Your dentist will be able to offer you in-office teeth whitening, or a take-home kit. In office treatment is more expensive, but it also is a faster way to a brighter smile—usually within an hour. You’ll receive take-home treatment with customized trays for your teeth, along with bleaching gel for touch-ups to maintain your bright smile.

Take-home teeth whitening is less expensive than the in-office treatment. You’ll still received customized trays and bleaching gel. You’ll put gel in the trays and wear them for a specified period every day, or overnight as your dentists directs. In two to three weeks, you’ll have a dazzling smile.

There are advantages of getting this treatment from your dentist. You’ll receive customized trays that will help you avoid wasting the gel or irritating your gums. Depending on the cause of the stains on your teeth, the bleaching gel makes the stains on them more noticeable. Or, you might have had dental work in the past, with which the bleaching gel is not compatible. And there are some stains, such as tetracycline stains, that require KöR deep bleaching, which you can only receive from your dentist.

Your dentist will be able to tell you if teeth whitening is right for you, and which method and brand will work best.

This blog post is sponsored by the office of New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune of Metairie.

Will Zoom teeth whitening lighten up my dental bonding?

Posted on by AllSmiles.

Hello. My dental bonding is getting dark. Bonding was put on my front teeth about 12 years ago and I am wondering if Zoom teeth whitening will lighten it up. I know that bonding wears with time, but right now I cannot afford new bonding. Will Zoom help? Thanks – Collette, Metairie

Collette,

Neither Zoom whitening nor any other teeth bleaching system will whiten your dental bonding. But it will whiten your natural teeth, and make your darker bonding even more noticeable. That’s not the desired result.

Depending on the cause of the discoloration of the bonding, it can be polished to look better. If the stains are external—not within the bonding material—an expert cosmetic dentist might be able to improve the look of the bonding by polishing it.

Otherwise, new dental bonding is needed. If replacing the bonding is not within your budget at this time, it’s best to wait until you can afford to have an expert cosmetic dentist do the work. You’ll have a beautiful result that looks natural. It will be worth the wait.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune of Metairie.

Will teeth whitening help tetracycline stained teeth?

Posted on by AllSmiles.

My teeth are stained by tetracycline. My dentist is recommending crowns for my front teeth, but I am wondering if teeth whitening will help. If not, what are my options? – Beverly

Beverly – It’s best to avoid having crowns placed on your teeth. There are two other ways to handle the tetracycline stains.

Tetracycline is a powerful antibiotic that treats certain infections, and it can be life-saving. It can also treat acne. If tetracycline is taken while your teeth are still developing, it will deposit in your teeth and darken them. You’ll have gray or brown stains in your teeth. Sometimes the color of tetracycline stains presents itself as horizontal bands on the teeth.

One way to cover the stains is with porcelain veneers. But porcelain veneers are quite thin, and to get beautiful results without the dark stains showing through requires the expertise of a cosmetic dentist. Perhaps that’s why your dentist wants to use crowns instead. You can get beautiful results from a cosmetic dentist who understands the techniques required to give the veneers the right color and translucency, and who works with an expert dental laboratory technician.

The KöR Deep Bleaching System is a second way to treat the tetracycline stains. Many dentists say that teeth whitening will not budge tetracycline stains, but KöR deep bleaching has proven effective on these stains. See an example in the before-and-after photographs below.

Before and after teeth whitening pictures with Kor Deep Bleaching.

This blog is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.