If you are planning to whiten your teeth and receive dental restorations, you may want to reach for the whitening treatment first. The order of your cosmetic and restorative treatments can make a difference in how seamlessly your final smile comes together.
Dental restorations are carefully shade-matched to complement your surrounding teeth. However, materials used for treatments such as crowns, veneers, and dental bonding do not whiten like your natural teeth. Whitening first gives Dr. Martin a new starting shade to work with when planning the rest of your smile.
Dental Restorations Do Not Whiten Like Natural Teeth
Professional teeth whitening is designed to lighten natural tooth structure. Dental materials, however, maintain the shade selected when your restoration is created.
This is important if you have or are considering:
- Dental crowns
- Porcelain veneers
- Dental bonding
- Dental bridges
- Other tooth-colored restorations
Imagine having a crown carefully matched to your current tooth color and then deciding to whiten your smile several months later. Your natural teeth may become noticeably brighter, but the crown will remain the same color.
The result can be a restoration that no longer blends as naturally with your surrounding smile.
Whitening First Establishes Your New Smile Shade
If you already know you want a whiter smile, completing whitening first gives us the opportunity to establish your preferred shade before designing visible restorations.
Once you are happy with your tooth color, Dr. Martin can use your newly brightened smile as a reference when selecting the color of crowns, veneers, bonding, or other restorations.
This is especially valuable when only some teeth are receiving restorations. For example, if you are receiving a veneer on a single tooth, we want it to complement the natural teeth sitting right beside it.
Consider Whitening Before These Restorations
Whitening can be an important early step in several types of treatment plans.
- Dental Crowns | A crown covering a visible tooth can be created to complement your whitened smile rather than your previous tooth shade.
- Porcelain Veneers | If you are only receiving veneers on certain teeth, whitening the surrounding natural teeth first can help your entire smile look cohesive.
- Dental Bonding | Composite resin is selected to match your tooth color when it is applied. Whitening later could cause the natural tooth structure to become lighter than the bonding.
- Dental Bridges | Like crowns, visible portions of a dental bridge can be designed around the final shade of your surrounding natural teeth.
Give Your Smile Some Time After Whitening
Whitening your teeth first does not necessarily mean receiving your restorations immediately afterward. Your teeth may need some time after whitening before Dr. Martin selects the final shade for your restoration.
We can help you plan the timing of each treatment based on the type of whitening and restoration you are receiving. A little planning at the beginning can make it easier to create a consistent appearance at the end.
Plan Your Entire Smile With Dr. Martin
Even if you are only ready for one treatment right now, tell us about everything you eventually want to change about your smile. Knowing that you want whiter teeth, veneers, bonding, crowns, or other improvements can help Dr. Martin determine which treatment should come first.
James Martin, DMD, offers KöR teeth whitening alongside dental bonding, porcelain veneers, CEREC crowns, and other cosmetic and restorative options. Sedation dentistry is also available to help make your care more comfortable when needed.
Instead of thinking about each tooth individually, Dr. Martin considers how your treatments can work together.
Call Our Office to Start Your First Step to a New Smile
Schedule a consultation at our Lafayette, CO, office to start planning a brighter, healthier smile from the beginning.
