Is Bleaching of Teeth Possible if Having Porcelain Veneers?

Question

If I have only a few of my teeth covered up with porcelain veneers, can I bleach the teeth without veneers then? Or does the bleaching harm the porcelain veneers?

Wendy S. Spektor, DDS · Answer

You can always whiten teeth not covered by veneers.  I have even used tooth bleach to whiten around old veneers to get off stain and it works!!!  You can even try to whiten behind the veneers if you think they have changed color with time.

	Obviously it is smarter to whiten before you do veneers but teeth do fade and finding a dentist who will try creative approaches can help you.  Good luck-

Norman Huefner, DDS · Answer

Bleaching teeth that don't have veneer restorations is fine. Just keep in mind that veneered teeth will not change color. Just place the gel in the tray where you natural teeth are, so that you don't waste gel. If you happen to get bleach on your veneered teeth with will not hurt them. If you are considering replacing your veneers bleach first to your desired "reachable" shade, stop for 10 days to allow color to stabilize then choose shade for your new veneers just keep in mind that you will have to continue to bleach as long as you want your natural teeth to match your veneers.

Dan Haas, DDS · Answer

Whitening (bleaching) products will not affect your porcelain veneer and hence can be used to whiten any adjacent teeth. But you must realize that no whitening product will ever alter the colour of your porcelain veneers or crowns. If you have yet to get veneers I would recommend that you whiten the adjacent teeth before the veneers are done so the porcelain colour can match the adjacent bleached teeth.

Elizabeth Jahanian, DDS · Answer

Veneers are not affected by bleaching; they will be neither damaged nor whitened. Only the natural tooth structure itself will be whitened by bleaching. So keep in mind that after bleaching, your teeth may be whiter than your veneers. But if your veneers are whiter than your own teeth to begin with, then bleaching can work to even out the shades. Best, Dr. Elizabeth Jahanian

Gerilyn Alfe, DMD · Answer

While it's usually recommended to bleach first, to get your natural teeth as light as possible, and THEN match your veneers to that shade, it's perfectly safe for you to bleach after your veneers are placed. Just know that the color of the veneers will not change with the bleaching process.

Michael J. Thomas, DDS · Answer

It really does help to whiten before your veneer appointment. It evens out your smile shade and makes the new veneers look better..If you whiten after the veneers are on then the natural teeth will whiten but not the veneers...

John Whittemore, DDS · Answer

If you are saying you have veneers already, then you can certainly whiten the other teeth and you may even find that the veneered teeth lighten up a bit.

	If you are asking about whitening before you get a few veneers done, I would recommend whitening first so that your dentist can match the new color you've achieved.  

	I would make sure to wait two weeks after you whiten to let the color of the whitened teeth stabilize.  If you choose a shade for your veneers to soon after you whiten, you'll have to whiten all the time to keep the teeth as white as the veneers going forward.

	 

	Best of luck!!!

Greg Lutke, DDS · Answer

Whitening/bleaching your natural teeth, not veneered, is a great way to match your smile.  Often times patients elect to have veneers on just the upper front teeth - but still want to select a whiter shade.  In this case, whitening the back upper teeth and the lower teeth, is often a wonderful solution.  The natural teeth and the veneers all match.

	Some patients prefer to whiten their non-veneered teeth first.  In this case, the new veneers would be matched to the whitened natural teeth. This also may be the more predictable choice.

Jonathan M. Abenaim, DMD, DICOI · Answer

Depending on why you are getting porcelain veneers, it may be a good idea to bleach your teeth (if possible) prior to veneering your teeth. This will allow your veneers to be made translucent so the underside of your teeth can show through the veneer and be more realistic. 

	If you have a tooth that had a root canal and you feel the colour is getting darker talk to your dentist about "internal Bleaching" or "Walking Bleach"

Paul D. Kantor, DDS · Answer

You can certainly whiten the teeth that don't have veneers and as long as it's not done excessively, it should not harm your veneers. It's always difficult (if not impossible) when whitening teeth, to predict the final shade that will be reached. You just need to understand that the odds of whitening to the exact shade of your veneers are not good. You're very likely to end up with two different shades.

Is Bleaching of Teeth Possible if Having Porcelain Veneers?

Answers (15)

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