Professional Teeth Whitening Months Before Crowns?

Question

I have been given a present for teeth whitening by a dentist in UK which expires July. In September, I will be having my crowns replaced (6,7,10,11) while in the States. I have read that you should not have your crowns matched to your newly whitened teeth - to give it at least 3 days. Why would it not be okay (or even better) to have your teeth whitened a couple of months before matching to your new crowns? I will spend 2 months with ugly old crowns but is it ok to whiten now? PS thank you!

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD · Answer

2 months may be better, as you suggest.  I also suggest not whitening any teeth that will be restored (crowns or veneers) so that any rebound in color will not matter.

Carlo Biasucci, DDS · Answer

It is ideal to whiten at least 2 weeks before having any cosmetic dental treatment so there will be time for relapse in color. It is fine to leave a longer interval before the work is done, but not less than 2 weeks or the color will not be matched as well as it could.

Pamela Marzban, DDS · Answer

You do not want the dentist guess the color of your teeth, it is much better for aesthetic reasons to whiten teeth before you get your new crowns made. They are your front teeth and when they select the color they will probably take photos to send to the Master Laboratory , they can use this to match the porcelain to your teeth perfectly, of course , along with the selection of the shade that you and your dentist agreed on. Porcelain does not change color, and for you it will easier to continue whitening until you are happy and satisfied and then select the color of your porcelain. Good luck

Michael Dorociak, DDS · Answer

It is perfectly fine to whiten now.  Research indicates that teeth will darken approximately one half shade weeks after a professional whitening.  So it would be no problem to whiten now as you are already aware of the potential to have a mismatch with the existing crowns.  Good luck!

	 

	Mike Dorociak DDS

Olga Kharevich, DMD, PhD (in memoriam) · Answer

The standard protocol is to perform whitening of the teeth a couple of weeks prior to shade taking for the final crowns. It allows the shade of adjacent teeth to "come back" slightly and become more stable. So you can safely whiten your teeth in July. Good luck with your treatment!

Professional Teeth Whitening Months Before Crowns?

Answers (5)