Can I whiten my teeth before i have them fixed?

Question

I know that i should be fixing them first but i am getting married soon and all i want is a beautiful white smile for it... I have some molers that are decaying and probably need a root canal.. I know i should have had it done earlier in life but i have fear for dentist because as a child they hit a nerve i my face and i winded up in hospital.. Thanks :)

Michael Tam, BDS · Answer

Depending on the type
of treatment needed, some dentists actually do recommend whitening your teeth
first. That way the new restorations like fillings or crowns can be matched to
the color of your existing teeth. Having teeth fixed beforehand will mean that
whitening later on will make teeth whiter than your treatments, and cause your
smile to look unnatural. Depending on the extent of the decay, the dentist may
need to place a temporary filling to protect the nerve from damage or exposure
to whitening solutions.

Adnan Saleem, DMD · Answer

I suggest that you get dental exam first and your dentist can determine the bleaching option alongwith other necessary dental work. Plenty of work can be done in one day with focus on your priority.  Best of luck .

Norman Huefner, DDS · Answer

It all depends on how deep your decay is, and only your dentist with x-rays can answer this.  If shallow decay, they you would probably be OK with teeth bleaching.  If deep decay, then i would recommend that your dentist at least remove the decay and place a temporary filling before bleaching.  Then, after you do your bleaching and your teeth are whiter, you dentist will need to replace the temporary fillings with regular tooth color fillings to match the rest of your whitened (bleached) teeth.As a side note, I would advise against over the counter teeth bleaching aids like White Strips.  They work, but it may take many months to years to get optimum results.

Can I whiten my teeth before i have them fixed?

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Can I whiten my teeth before i have them fixed?

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