Can You Whiten Veneers?

Veneers are an excellent way to upgrade your smile when dealing with anything from discolorations and stains to irregularly shaped or sized teeth, and even more.

However, since veneers are an irreversible procedure, it’s very important to fully understand what you are committing to. While veneers are made from stain-resistant materials (usually porcelain), over time veneers can change their color.

If they do, they cannot be whitened like natural teeth, and most often need to be replaced.

Keep on reading to understand why!

How Do Teeth-Whitening Treatments Work?

Teeth-whitening treatments, whether done at home or at the dentist’s office, use bleaching agents such as peroxide to improve tooth color. When the teeth are exposed to the gel, the agent actually breaks down the molecules on the surface of the teeth that create staining and discoloration.

Through a few appointments, you can lift quite a few shades and achieve a perfectly white and even smile.

Unless you have veneers.

Why Can’t You Whiten Veneers?

Veneers simply don’t kickstart the same chemical reaction when exposed to whitening solutions the way natural tooth enamel does.

If you apply tooth-whitening agents to veneers, they will most likely keep their current shade. Unfortunately, veneers only cover the front surface of the tooth, so the rest of your tooth can become whitened. Moreover, many patients only have veneers on a few of their teeth, which means that they could get very unpleasant, uneven results after whitening.

So if you want to avoid an uneven smile, you should avoid using teeth-whitening solutions while having veneers.

Can You Improve the Color of Veneers?

You don’t always need teeth-whitening treatments to get whiter teeth. Sometimes, you may remove more stubborn stains with a professional dental cleaning, which can even remove stains from veneers.

If that doesn’t work, then you’ll most likely need to change your veneers and get them in a new shade. The dentist will remove the veneers, whiten your teeth, and then attach new ones, which is usually done in a few different sessions, depending on how much you need to whiten your teeth.

Our Denton cosmetic dentists generally recommend that patients whiten their teeth to their desired shade before getting fitted for veneers, so the veneers can be color-matched to the rest of their smile.

How to Properly Maintain Veneers

You can keep your smile looking brand new for a long time with a few simple steps:

• Brush your teeth at least two times a day and floss daily
• Use whitening toothpaste to remove stains
• Drink coffee, tea, and other staining beverages through a straw
• Cleanse the mouth with water after eating highly staining foods like tomato sauces 
• See the dentist every six months for dental cleanings

Get Your Dream Smile at Timberlake Dental

If you want to improve your smile’s appearance and are wondering if veneers are right for you, Dr. Rodney Chowning can help you find out.

Book a veneers consultation at Timberlake Dental online, or call us at (940) 382-1750 to find out more about our cosmetic dental services.