If a person Zoom Whiten their Teeth Before Getting a Crown Will they Have to Always Zoom to Maintain?

When my patients have an interest in tooth whitening, I always direct them to consider having the whitening treatment before I prepare the crown.  This is especially important if the crown is to be placed in the aesthetic zone. 

Teeth will whiten but dental restorative materials do not.  Whether porcelain or plastic, the dental materials have a specific color based on their manufacturer.  They are non-porous.  Whitening products work by removing stains from the microscopic pores in the tooth enamel.  You can remove surface stains from dental restorative materials with a good professional polishing, but the base color will never change.

Whitening before having aesthetic dental work done is the preferred course of action.  The color choice for the dental work can be controlled to match the lightened enamel of the natural teeth.  If the enamel discolors over time, a simple touch-up whitening kit can be used to return to an aesthetic match.

Whitening the teeth is a little like coloring hair...it is beautiful but requires maintainence! In my office we recommend patients follow-up any in-office whitening system with take-home whitening used one night per month.  When you color your hair, the goal is usally never to let your hair LOOK like it needs to be colored...and this requires regular maintainence.  Pick the 1st or 15th of the month, and use your whitening solution at home every month on that day to maintain the beautiful new color you achieved!