Can I Whiten My Crowns?

I am still perplexed as to why they haven't invented whiteners for crowns. Do I still have to replace my crowns to get them whiter or do I need to opt for veneers?

A: I’m surprised too, as the new products and techniques in dentistry just keep coming in. We can whiten porcelain crowns, veneers, and fillings; we just can’t-do it in the mouth!

The whitening gels we use to whiten teeth only work on natural teeth and have no effect on porcelain surfaces.

If you have crowns now, you can’t go back to veneers. Plastic fillings and bonding technically do not respond to the whitening process. I say “technically” because if the bonding is thin enough, it will seem as if the tooth has lightened when the lighter tooth surface will show through.

So the answer is “yes,” you do need to replace your crowns if you want them to match your whiter teeth. However, I would do this after you whiten your teeth so that your dentist knows the exact color to match to. Wait two weeks until after you are satisfied with your whitening before replacing your crowns.

Blog Notes: About Mark Burhenne DDS

Welcome! My name is Dr. Mark Burhenne, or Dr. B for short. When did we start seeing the mouth as separate from the rest of the human body?

The mouth doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is intimately connected to the health of the rest of the body.

In fact, the bacteria and entire environment inside the mouth are connected to the rest of your body so intimately that the state of your oral health can predict whether you’ll have heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes.

In my 30 years of practice as a dentist, I’ve seen a lot of misinformation and people who have fallen through the cracks due to our healthcare system’s failure to understand the oral-body connection.

I created this blog to empower people to understand how your mouth is a window into the health of the rest of your body.

It is my sincere hope that the knowledge and tools on this blog will lead to greater health and well-being for you and those you love.

Throughout this website you’ll find high-quality articles and free resources for getting and staying healthy. It’s the info I use to keep myself and my family healthy, and how I treat my patients.

More About Mark Burhenne DDS

I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a B.S. in Biochemistry and B.A. in History of Art and had the privilege of attending the University of the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, consistently ranked among the best in the US.

I am an active member of several continuing education groups and study clubs in prosthetics and periodontology that perform actual clinical work on patients. I have worked as an expert witness in legal dental cases. I’ve also volunteered as a dental surgeon in Jos, Nigeria.

I raised three daughters without cavities (all without ingestion of fluoride). I enjoy downhill skiing, alpine touring, mountain biking, photography, and listening to jazz and classical records (you know, those flat analog 12-inch vinyl discs).

I am passionate about restoring teeth to their original function and beauty – and as someone who studied art history and is a hobbyist photographer, the intersection of art and the opportunity to help people makes dentistry my dream profession.

I welcome your comments and questions and encourage you to like my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter to get the latest on oral and dental health.

Mark Burhenne DDS