Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Teeth Whitening Wore Off In a Few Weeks

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I was trying to save money on teeth whitening. I saw a bunch of great reviews for this whitening kit Luster Premium. I got it and while my teeth did get whiter pretty fast it only lasted a few weeks. Did I do something wrong? Like do I need a special toothpaste for it? I just want an affordable way to get white teeth.

Evan

Dear Evan,

Teeth whitening trays in a blue case

It does not sound like you have done anything wrong. I’ve looked into this whitening kit and I believe the problem you are facing has more to do with their “super whitener” which I would not accurately call a whitener at all. Instead, it uses zinc oxide which is a pigment. It essentially paints your teeth whiter temporarily. I suspect the great reviews you read were from those who noticed the initial whiter color and wrote their review before it had worn off.

While there are a few over the counter whitening kits that do work, such as Crest Whitestrips, you are not likely to save money using them. This is because these kits will not be nearly as strong as the professional teeth whitening that you would get from your dentist. You would have to purchase a LOT of kits to do the same thing that one round of treatment would do with your dentist. That costs you not just money, but time as well— an even more precious commodity.

If you are just worried about the upfront cost of doing it through a dentist, talk to your dentist about that. He or she may be willing to work out a payment plan with you. If not, there are plenty of dentists who keep their prices affordable who will be willing to work with you. I’d recommend going right after having your teeth cleaned so the results will be even.

This blog is brought to you by a gentle dentist in Tulsa, Dr. Ryan Noah.

Dentist Insisting I Get Braces

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I’m at my wit’s end. I know I’ll never be able to have a perfect smile, but I was hoping for something at least not humiliating. I have crowns on my two front teeth. They’re over 15 years old and starting to show their wear. They’re stained and starting to crack. I just wanted to replace them and maybe whiten my teeth if I still had enough money. However, my dentist is insisting I get braces on my teeth before I get my crowns re-done. I just can’t afford that. Is it truly necessary? My teeth stick out a little, but not that much. Why was the last dentist able to do crowns?

Karen

Dear Karen,

Smiling young woman with braces

This is one of those situations which truly frustrates me. Some dentists will insist on only doing the ideal no matter what type of burden that places on the patient. This is unfair. It’s obvious your crowns need replacing and he’s putting you over a barrel.

As you said, your last dentist was able to do the crowns, why isn’t this one? I think in this case you may need to see a different dentist to get the treatment you want without it costing you a fortune. You can completely do without braces, or you could just get them later if circumstances changed.

Teeth Whitening and Crowns

If you’re serious about getting your teeth whitened, it will save you a lot of money to get them whitened before you have the crowns made. It’s possible to get your teeth whitened in one appointment these days with in-office teeth whitening. That will save you time.

If you wait to whiten your teeth until after your new crowns are made, they won’t match. The whitening gel only works on natural tooth structure, which means your teeth will whiten but not your crowns, causing you to need to purchase new ones unless you want mismatched teeth. Doing the tooth bleaching first prevents that.

Althernative Orthodontics for Adults

If somewhere in your future, you decide you do want orthodontics, you should know it no longer means you have to get uncomfortable wires and metal all over your teeth. These days, Invisalign is a great alternative to traditional braces.

They use clear plastic aligners which are invisible even at a conversational distance.

One other thing to note. Because the crowns are on your front teeth, make sure whatever dentist you settle on gives you all-porcelain crowns. They’ll look much more natural.

This blog is brought to you by Glenpool Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

Can I bleach my non-veneered teeth?

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I have veneers and wanted to know if over-the-counter products like Crest White Strips will ruin or damage my veneers? I’ve noticed that over time, my other teeth look yellow in comparison to my veneers and the color change is noticeable between my natural teeth and the veneers. I want to bleach my natural teeth to match the veneers but don’t want to damage the expensive veneers. What do you recommend?
– Brent from Oklahoma

Brent,
If you want to bleach your natural teeth, you may use over-the-counter whitening products such as: Crest Whitestrips and products by other manufacturers but only for limited situations. The strips hold peroxide in a gel that’s attached to the strip. When you affix the strip to your tooth, it allows the peroxide to penetrate your teeth and whiten them.

If you decide to use other products with powders, rinses or toothpastes, these won’t be that effective as they’re on the teeth briefly and don’t penetrate the teeth. Also, some of these products are acidic and etch the tooth surface. The teeth may look white for a few days but then they start attracting stains and look darker because the etched surface easily attracts stains.

The challenge when using the White Strips is that they’re designed to cover only your front six teeth so if you’re attempting to reach the natural teeth that aren’t in the front, you’ll need to cut the strips and try to fit them to your teeth that are further back. This is a hassle.

The other issue with the strips is they whiten slowly because the peroxide bleach is fairly weak as it’s sold over the counter and can’t be too strong. The strips are also expensive and may end up costing you more than if you had your teeth whitened in a dental office.

The best solution would be to see a dentist and have your teeth bleached properly. Dentists have experience with bleaching and use stronger peroxide that easily covers your teeth.

Bleach won’t harm your veneers and they won’t change color. You may notice slight lightening of your veneered teeth, but this will come from behind the tooth and won’t affect the look from the front.

For more information about Dr. Noah, visit Region Dental.