Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Whitening With Porcelain Veneers

by

I have four porcelain veneers. They look fine but my natural teeth that are next to them are darker than the color I wanted for the porcelain veneers. If I wanted to whiten my teeth with Crest Whitestrips, would it damage the porcelain veneers?

Laura

Dear Laura,

Teeth whitening trays in a blue case

I am glad you like your porcelain veneers. I am curious as to whether or not your dentist suggested you whiten your teeth before getting your porcelain veneers. Four veneers are not enough to cover the teeth that are visible when you smile. Generally, a smile is eight to ten teeth wide. If you are not going to get that many porcelain veneers, which is quite common, then the dentist should have recommended you have your teeth whitened before you have your porcelain veneers done. This way the veneers can be made to match the new whiter color of your teeth.

That didn’t appear to happen, which baffles me. It is porcelain veneers 101. That being said, there is a solution. I don’t think that Crest Whitestrips, while they do whiten teeth (albeit very slowly) are your best option. First, they are quite weak and will take longer than you would probably want. Second, they only cover the front six teeth. You have porcelain veneers on four of those, that means you would only get two teeth whitened.

While you could cut them in half and try to work it that way, that is not very convenient. My suggestion is that you speak to your dentist. He can make you whitening trays to work around your porcelain veneers. It will whiten your teeth much faster.

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

Teeth Whitening and Tooth Mousse for White Spots

by

I have some white spots on my teeth ever since I had my braces off. I was a bit late getting my teeth straightened as I didn’t have the money until recently. My dentist is suggesting I do tooth mousse for a couple of months and then follow it up with teeth whitening. Is this the right plan for me? I don’t have any reason not to trust the dentist, it is more I have an off feeling about things and have learned to trust my gut. So, I’m seeking another opinion before moving forward.

Avery

Dear Avery,

Teeth whitening trays in a blue case

I am glad you wrote. Your gut serves you well. White spots, especially after braces are signs of decalcification. This takes place because your braces made it a bit tricky to really get in there and brush. Bacteria got trapped and decalcified those spots. These are precursors to decay and can do some serious damage to your teeth.

While your dentist is giving it the “old college try”, I would say that he is about 50% correct in how he is handling this. Tooth mousse is designed to help remineralize teeth, but does not always work. It would not hurt to try this.

As for teeth whitening, in this case he is completely wrong. While teeth whitening does wonderful things for making your teeth look whiter, brighter, and even younger, it will whiten your teeth evenly. This means that your white spots will get whiter along with the remainder of your teeth. That is not the solution you are looking for.

The best way to deal with white spots is with microabrasion and dental bonding. However, this will require an expert cosmetic dentist. If you want whiter teeth, go ahead and do that, but afterward you’ll need to have the dental bonding done. Do not do the bonding first, because it will not whiten along with your teeth.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

Invisalign and Missing Teeth

by

If I have missing teeth, can I still get Invisalign? I’ve seen an orthodontist for a consultation and he said Invisalign only works on the most ideal cases, but my dentist thinks I can still get Invisalign if I want to. I’m not sure which is right. They both have “motive” to get my money. Hahaha. As I live in a completely different state from you and you can’t get any of my money, do you think Invisalign is possible for me?

Elinore

Dear Elinore,

Upper Invisalign Aligner

I like your style. It is always a good idea to ask for your advice from someone who cannot benefit from the answer given. While it used to be in its early days that Invisalign only worked on the easiest cases, there have been quite a few advancements in the technology and it is now on the opposite ends of the spectrum where it works on all but the most complicated cases.

Invisalign does fine working around missing teeth, so you shouldn’t have any problems with Invisalign if that is the most complicated thing about your case. So, you may be wondering why your orthodontist was saying it cannot. I don’t think it was a completely financial answer. Orthodontists were trained to work with braces. They have more confidence in working with that procedure. He’s telling you what HE can do the best job with.

If you decide to get Invisalign, you should know there is one other hidden benefit to Invisalign. The clear aligners they use can also double as teeth whitening trays. This means, if you want to, you can straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time. It is like getting a mini smile makeover for a fraction of the cost.

I would consult with the Invisalign dentist you choose about replacing the teeth. In some cases, the teeth can just be shifted, depending on the placement of the teeth, without it having a negative impact on your smile. However, in some cases, your dentist will need to open up space for you to replace those teeth. In that case, you can replace the teeth once your case is done. The best tooth replacement is a dental implant. However, one step at a time.

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