Tag Archives: family dentist

Teeth Whitening

Should I Whiten My Teeth Before Getting a Dental Crown?

I broke one of my upper teeth and my dentist says I need a dental crown. The tooth is one you can see when I smile. I’ve been thinking about whitening my teeth for a while, and now I’m wondering if I should do that first. If I get the crown and then whiten my teeth later, will the crown whiten along with the rest of my teeth? I don’t want to spend money on a crown only to have it stand out when I finally get around to whitening.

Thanks,

Melissa

Dear Melissa,

Image of teeth whitening trays
Professional teeth whitening trays

I’m glad you asked this question before getting your dental crown. You’ve identified something that can make a significant difference in how happy you are with your smile afterward.

The short answer is that you should have the teeth whitening done before having your permanent crown made, provided your dentist determines the broken tooth can safely wait for the final restoration.

Dental Crowns Don’t Respond to Teeth Whitening

When you have a dental crown made, your dentist selects a shade that blends with your surrounding teeth. The problem is that teeth whitening only works on natural tooth structure. It won’t change the color of porcelain or other dental materials.

If you get your crown first and then whiten your teeth, your natural teeth will become lighter, but your crown will remain the same color. Because this tooth is visible when you smile, the difference will be noticeable.

Your only option for changing the crown’s color at that point may be to replace it, which would be an unnecessary expense.

Don’t Get the Crown Immediately After Whitening

There’s another important consideration, even when you whiten first. You don’t want to finish whitening your teeth one day and have your crown’s shade selected the next.

Teeth will continue whitening for up to two weeks. They are also slightly dehydrated during whitening. As they rehydrate the color will stabilize. By waiting two weeks, you can make sure the crown matches your new smile as closely as possible.

What About Your Broken Tooth?

Because your tooth is already damaged, the first priority is protecting it. Your dentist can tell you how safe it is to put off the permanent crown. In some cases, a temporary crown can protect the tooth while you complete whitening. However, that isn’t appropriate for every situation, especially if the tooth is severely damaged or painful. The temporary crown will not be the color you are aiming for after the whitening, but it will protect the broken tooth.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert family dentist Dr. Matt Roper of Vista Dorada Dental.

CEREC crowns

Should I Change Away from CEREC?

I needed a dental crown on a front tooth that I broke, but needed to leave town in two days. My dentist suggested a CEREC crown. I agreed. The crown was done and I left town. The very next day, my crown fell off. I was in another state and had to see an emergency dentist. He looked at it and told me that whoever did my crown did not bond it on properly. He fixed it and I was able to finish my trip. I did notice the color was off, but this was true from the beginning of the crown, not because it fell off. I talked to my dentist about this situation and he agreed to do the whole thing over. After some research, I am thinking that this dentist may be in over his head. Should I go to a traditional crown instead of CEREC?

Lindsey

Dear Lindsey,

block of porcelain for a cerec crown.

CEREC crowns are wonderful and convenient, but they’re not the best on front teeth. This is because they are milled from a single block of porcelain. That means they will not have those subtle variations in opacity and color that your natural teeth will. On teeth that are not directly exposed to light, such as our front teeth, that’s not a problem. They will still look natural and blend in. But, with front teeth, they will look flat. So, yes, I would go with the traditional dental crowns.

That being said, crowns on front teeth are difficult to match exactly even with traditional crowns, and your dentist does not inspire confidence in me. If he could not properly bond on a dental crown, which is one of the first things we learn in dental school, then I have my doubts that he has the skills to do this well.

However, if you want to give him a chance, I would tell him that you want him to try it on with a temporary try-in paste so that you can get a good look at it in a variety of lights and feel confident that it is what you want. Only then should he bond it on permanently. If you don’t like it, then he should go back and make the needed changes. He should be okay with this. Even skilled cosmetic dentists usually need two or three try-ins.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Family Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.
Click here to learn how he keeps dentistry affordable.

General dentistry, Mercury Free

Will Dental Implants Trigger My Allergies?

Hello there,

I am interested in dental implants to restore my smile. The years have not been easy on my teeth. While a dental implant is a little outside my price range at the moment, I have a more pressing concern. I have a severe allergy to metal. I cannot even wear metallic accessories or fashion items. I know I am allergic to nickel and have sensitivities to others metals commonly used in dentistry.

Is it possible to restore my smile without using metal?

Hotaru, from Austin, TX

 

Hi Hotaru,

Your metal allergies sound serious, however, most dental implants contain titanium. Being allergic to one metal does not mean you will be allergic to all. Titanium is a highly biocompatible metal, but prior to getting any implants, you can opt for an allergy test to put your concerns to rest.

Another option you have is to find a dentist that creates metal-free all-porcelain implants using zirconia or another strong ceramic. It may be difficult to find someone to place an all-porcelain implant, but if a titanium one is out of the question, it can be done.

This blog post is brought to you by Gilbert dentist, Dr. Matthew Roper, of Vista Dorada Dental.