I have porcelain veneers on several of my front teeth. They are white and beautiful. I’ve had the veneers for a while and now my other teeth are no longer white and don’t look as nice as the veneers. Can I use Crest White Strips to bleach my teeth without hurting my veneers? – Christy
Crest White Strips and their imitators are the only over the counter products that might work. The strips hold the peroxide onto the teeth and because they are on for a while they allow the gel to penetrate the teeth. Most other kids of whiteners are not on your teeth long enough to make any difference.
There are some whiteners that can do damage to your teeth because in order to whiten your teeth they weaken the enamel and then bleach the tooth. The results from that kind of “bleaching” don’t last more than a few days and then teeth often look worse, because the enamel has been weakened and it absorbs more stains.
The Whitestrips might be difficult to use on your back teeth because they are made to be placed on the front teeth, where you have veneers. Because they are sold over-the-counter the peroxide is not very strong and the whitening goes very slowly. They can also be expensive. You should consider having them professionally whitened by a dentist. He can target the teeth you need and the dentist uses a much more powerful kind of peroxide. You would probably be much happier with the results. Many dentists offer bleaching specials. Normally don’t price shop for dental work but bleaching is a very simple procedure.
The bleach won’t harm your porcelain veneers and they won’t change color.
Read about teeth whitening from Dr. Kaake at Miller Hill Dental.