Whitening Porcelain Veneers
Dr. Hall:
About two years ago, I had
porcelain veneers placed
on my teeth. Now I want to bleach my teeth. Is there anything I can do to
whiten the porcelain veneers?
Answer:
Once porcelain veneers are bonded to your teeth,
there is nothing that will whiten them. You can whiten your other teeth,
but you won't whiten the veneers.
Recent studies show that bleaching gels will
penetrate teeth from behind. So if you have porcelain veneers on the front
of the teeth, you can whiten the part of the tooth under the veneer. But
the porcelain will not whiten.
Your situation shows the importance of having your
porcelain veneers done by an expert cosmetic dentist. These cosmetic
dentists, who are passionate about appearance, will always suggest
bleaching or whitening your teeth before they place porcelain
veneers. Then they will match the porcelain veneers to your new whiter
shade. They also know how to have porcelain veneers made to the degree of
whiteness you desire, which general dentists often don't know how to do.
Dr. Hall
Questions about porcelain veneers:
