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

If you have ever had aspirations of whitening your teeth, you should get the Zoom whitening treatment before getting your new crown.  It will not be necessary to continually Zoom to keep them the same color as your crown.  That being said, the color of your natural teeth will change over time, but the touch up bleaching trays that you will be given when you Zoom can be used to easily maintain the color.  We recommend that patients purchase touch up bleach and use them for an hour or two shortly after having their teeth cleaned.  This will help keep your teeth the same color as your crown.  

You do not need to Zoom again: a quick touch up tray is usually all it takes once a year, but many patients like the appeal of a fast Zoom!

I always ask my patients if they are considering whitening before starting a crown in a cosmetic spot (aren't they all?)  If yes, I mention that you will need to wait about 10 days after whitening for the final color to "set."  I remind patients when whitening, like tanning, you can not pick the final color and may fade over time.  How fast it fades depends on genetics and environment - like diet.  It's easy to fix, inexpensive and well worth it.

Good Luck and a Healthy, Bright Smile.

Mixing and matching modalities like Zoom and Crowns is always a problem.

The colors will never match exactly and constant touching up of the natural teeth with trays is a pain in the you know what.  Do yourself a favor and seriously consider veneers in conjunction with the crown.  The color will match and you will have a smile you will love!

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!