I have four porcelain veneers. They are okay, but the teeth on either side of them were already darker and now that it’s been a couple of years, they are even more stained. This makes my veneers look obviously fake and my natural teeth look even more awful. I’m worried that professional teeth whitening with a dentist will damage my veneers. But, what if I used something like Crest Whitestrips? I know they’re a lot weaker than what a dentist will use so I’m hoping they are safer.
Donna
Dear Donna,
I’m very surprised that your dentist did not whiten your teeth before creating your porcelain veneers, especially since you only had four veneers placed. Most smiles are eight to ten teeth wide. Because of that, teeth whitening is usually standard operating procedure. But, that is water under the bridge. All you can do is deal with what you have going on now.
I would not recommend Crest Whitestrips for your situation. First, as you mentioned, the whitening, while it does work, is very weak. It would take a significant number of kits to make a dentist in the color of your teeth. Second, these strips only cover the front six teeth, which in your case will mean that only two of the adjacent teeth will get any of the gel, unless you use two separate strips and put them on either side of the veneers. Though, that means double the number of kits you’ll need.
In the long run, you will save money and time by having professional teeth whitening done. The good news is that teeth whitening will not damage your veneers in any way. They only have an impact on natural tooth structure. Though, if you want, your dentist could design a special tray for you to use with the whitening gel that will cut out the area where your veneers are if that makes you feel better.
This blog is brought to you by Parma Ridge Family Dentist Dr. Rebecca Gecovich.