How Much Teeth Whitening Do I Need Before Lumineers?

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I want to get a smile makeover. My dentist is suggesting Lumineers. They are pricey, so I’m not sure how many of them I can afford. I can do six but it looks like my smile is pretty wide. That means my other teeth will show and I’ll have two different looking teeth. I was looking around for information on alternatives and came across your site. It looks like as long as I whiten my teeth, the others will blend in with the Lumineers, right? Is there a way to know how much whitening I need as far as length of time?

Sandy

Dear Sandy,

Teeth Whitening Trays

It is good you are doing some research. I think this will save you some real anguish. First, yes, teeth whitening is a great option when you can’t get quite as many veneers as you need for the width of your smile. In fact, it is a common recommended step when it comes to getting a smile makeover.

I could not tell you with any certainty how much whitening you would need. That depends on a lot of factors, such as how white you want your smile makeover to be and how long you can tolerate wearing the bleaching trays. The basic principle is the longer you can wear the trays each day, the faster your teeth will whiten.

I wanted to bring up the Lumineers, though. This is just one brand of porcelain veneers. I’m a bit concerned that this is the brand your dentist is suggesting. It is highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists and there are other options. The biggest problem with Lumineers is that the company who owns them insists that dentists use their laboratory. Unfortunately, this lab is not known for their artistry. Most expert cosmetic dentists have a ceramist they prefer to work with at a specific lab. One they can trust to create the results they’ve designed.

I’m going to suggest you get a second opinion with another dentist on the type of porcelain veneers to get. If it is a matter of cost and this dentist is cheaper, I suggest you go ahead with the teeth whitening, which will greatly improve your smile. Then, save up for the dentist who can do your smile makeover correctly. This way you end up with results that thrill you instead of disappoint you.

This blog is is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Lemons for Teeth Whitening

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Is it possible to use lemons or lemon essential oils to whiten your teeth? I’ve been looking at ways to whiten my teeth at home without having to use the Zoom Machine that my dentist has. It makes your teeth super white and I am looking for something more subtle and natural because of my age. I’m going on 72.

Penelope

Dear Penelope,

An image of lemons

The problem with using any type of lemon product for whitening your teeth is that it will contain citric acid. If you rub it on your teeth, it will etch them. While it may make the teeth look a little whiter by removing some surface staining, this will only be temporary. That is because the etching damages the surface of your enamel, which will cause the teeth to pick up more stains. In fact, I recommend not brushing immediately after drinking a citrus drink for that very reason. You will grind the acid into the enamel with your toothbrush. If you must brush immediately after, do yourself a favor and swish some water around in your mouth in order to neutralize the acid first.

The safest way to whiten your teeth is with professional tooth whitening through your dentist. While it is true that Zoom Whitening will get your teeth very white, it is not your only option. There are take home bleaching trays that you can do.

Your dentist will custom fit the bleaching trays to your exact bite and provide you with professional strength whitening gel to wear in them. If you don’t want your teeth very white, that is no big deal. You simply wear the trays until you get to the level of whitening you are comfortable with. Once you reach the level you wanted, you simply stop wearing the trays.

It is hard to get a precise color, but you can get close. If you are looking for something precise, you could get porcelain veneers. These can be made to any color you want. However, they are more designed for complete smile makeovers. Porcelain veneers are fantastic if you want to change more than just the color of your teeth, such as the shape and size. However, if all you want to do is whiten them, veneers would be overkill and way too expensive.

This blog is brought to you by Marietta Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Should She Finish this Full-Mouth Reconstruction?

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I had a collapsed bite because of teeth grinding. My old dentist never told me that was going on. I had to see another dentist in the same office because of a toothache and they suggested I get a nightguard for when I am sleeping. I did, but think that I waited too long to start it. I ended up moving to another city and it was the new dentist who said that the condition of the teeth was pretty bad. She’s the one who told me about the collapsed bite. I agreed to the smile makeover. She did the crowns on the bottom first. While everything feels better, two things bother me. First, it is whiter and more perfect than I was hoping for. I liked the quirkiness of my smile. Here is my problem. I am not sure I want the upper ones done. I know it seems silly, but I’ve been really emotional about this. However, my top teeth are now much darker than the bottom ones. What are my options?

Julia

Julia,

An image of a woman happily pointing at her smile

You have a couple of options. First, if you absolutely just do not want to complete the smile makeover, I would recommend simply whitening the upper teeth. You can do that in one appointment with Zoom whitening and then you would not have two arches of teeth looking so drastically different from one another for an extended period of time.

However, before you decide, I want you to consider a couple of things. First, on the practical side, if your teeth are ground down, I am sure it wasn’t limited to the bottom teeth. Plus, the crowns and veneers will be harder on your upper teeth than your natural teeth were, which will cause more damage.

Plus, the procedure was planned with both of them. Doing just half of it could throw off your bite and lead to TMJ Disorder.

I could be misreading things, but it sounded like your main concern was the fact that the teeth were too perfect and you wanted some quirkiness. In that case, I would suggest communicating that to your dentist. Most cosmetic dentists would jump at the chance to add some character to the smile. Too often, they’re stuck making perfect smiles. You would be a welcome change.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

How Can I Get My Porcelain Veneers White Again?

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When I first got my porcelain veneers they were really white. Lately, they’ve been picking up my coffee stains. I don’t want to give up coffee, but I’d like to get them as white as they were again. I know that over the counter whitening won’t work, because I tried it, but would the whitening from my dentist work?

Greta

Dear Greta,

A porcelain veneer being held up to a tooth

I am glad you wrote. How you handle this will depend on the reason for the stains. The glaze on your porcelain veneers is extremely stain resistant. In fact, they are more stain resistant than even your natural teeth. This would repel even coffee stains, except maybe for temporary surface stains. The solution to that would be to get Supersmile toothpaste. This uses a chemical enzyme which safely removes surface stains from both natural teeth and cosmetic dental work. Never use the type of whitening toothpastes that are commonly sold. Most of them contain abrasives that will damage both your natural teeth and your dental work.

However, if the glaze has been removed from your porcelain veneers, this will not work. Unfortnately, neither will teeth whitening, which only works on natural tooth structure. There are a few things that can damage the glazing on your porcelain veneers. Two of them can happen at your dentist’s office, so I will start with those.
1. The use of a Power Prophy Jet. Don’t allow your hygienist to use this on your cosmetic work, or even dental crowns. This will completely remove the glazing on your dental work and it will not take long for the veneers to pick up stains.
2. Acidulated fluoride. This won’t completely remove the glaze, but will etch it, giving you pockets of stains.

One thing you can do that will damage the veneers is using the type of whitening toothpastes that are commonly sold. Most of them contain abrasives that will damage both your natural teeth and your dental work.

If the glazing has been removed or damaged you have a couple of options. The first is to replace them. If your dentist damaged them because of one of the things mentioned above they should help with that cost. A second option is to see an expert cosmetic dentist who has the skills and equipment to polish them back to their original shine. It will not be the same as the glaze, but it will remove the stains as well as help them to avoid stains a bit better. From there, Supersmile toothpaste will really help keep the stains off.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Did Crest Whitestrips Damage This Woman’s Tooth?

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I had a tooth that had been recessed for years due to an accident. That had caused it to be darker than the other teeth. I was looking for a cheap way to fix this and my dentist suggested Crest Whitestrips. I wore it for a little over a week with no problems, but then started having pain in the recessed tooth. It began to have sensitivity to hot and cold. I stopped using the whitestrips but the pain didn’t stop. I went to see my dentist and he believes I need a root canal treatment. Could Crest Whitestrips have caused this? If so, should my dentist have warned me that this would be a possibility?

Caroline

Dear Caroline,

teeth whitening trays

Professional Teeth Whitening Trays

When I first heard this question, I was surprised because, generally, Crest Whitestrips are so weak that it would be hard for them to do much damage. However, as I’ve thought about your situation and the damaged tooth, it is possible. If the tooth is recessed it is likely already irritated or has some exposed dentin. The whitening strips could have pushed that tooth over the edge. 

I am a little surprised your dentist suggested the Crest Whitestrips for a couple of reasons. One, it is dangerous for a patient to have teeth whitening done without supervision from a professional who can keep an eye on things. Second, the type of discoloration you have is not from stains so teeth whitening is not the solution. Those two things combined make me wonder if your dentist has a clear understanding of how teeth whitening works. 

As for whether or not you need a root canal treatment, that would be hard to diagnose over blog post. The sensitivity to cold doesn’t bother me too much, but the sensitivity to hot tells me that it may not be able to heal on its own. You are perfectly within your rights to get a second opinion from another dentist who can examine you. If you do, I would suggest getting it done by an endodontist. They are root canal specialists. After the pain in the tooth is taken care of, you will want to see an expert cosmetic dentist in order to get the discoloration dealt with. They can give you all your options after examining the tooth.  

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek. 

Whitening Teeth With Lemons

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I’m looking for a way to whiten my teeth at home instead of having to go to the dental office for Zoom. I want more control over the whitening and someone told me Zoom can be painful. They also told me that using lemons on my teeth could whiten them. Is that true?

Brooke

Dear Brooke,

Lemons

I’m glad you wrote. While it is possible you could get some temporary whitening out of lemons, it will cause damage to your teeth and make them look darker in the long run. This is because lemons contain citric acid. When you place them on your teeth, the acid will etch the teeth. This may remove some surface stains, but the etching means the teeth will now pick up stains more rapidly because you no longer have the enamel to protect you from the stains. Additionally, long term use can thin out your enamel which will make your teeth sensitive.

There is a way to get your teeth professionally whitened at home. There are teeth whitening trays your dentist can custom fit to your bite. Then, he or she will provide you with professional strength teeth whitening gel. You have control over the level of whitening because if you reach the shade you want, you simply stop whitening.

Will it be painful? Not really. Zoom has been known to cause some “zings” for people with sensitive teeth. At-home whitening gives you more control. You determine how long it is on your teeth. If you wear it overnight and your teeth are sensitive in the morning, then just wear it for an hour a day. If that is too much, half that. The procedure is completely in your hands.

I hope this helps you. DIY procedures are great for home improvement projects, but rarely work for dental care.
This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Teeth Whitening for White Spots

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I have had white spots on the bottoms of my front teeth since I was a child. They have always bothered me and I am finally in a position to do something about them. However, my dentist insists because my teeth are healthy I should leave them alone. Her exact words were, “Why mess with something that is not broken?” But, the teeth make me embarrassed. I was thinking about teeth whitening as an option but I need an opinion as to whether that will work or not.

Christine

Dear Christine,

teeth whitening trays

Teeth Whitening Trays

 

I am glad you wrote. While your dentist meant well, the don’t fix what isn’t broke attitude is more the engineering mindset of a general dentist than what you would get from a cosmetic dentist. If it bothers you, then it is worth fixing. However, teeth whitening is not the solution.

Whitening is a great way to give yourself an inexpensive smile makeover. It can make you look years younger. However, it is not the solution for the white spots you are dealing with. Because teeth whitening whitens your teeth evenly, it will only serve to make the white spots even more noticeable.

Before and after dental bonding

What you will need is to have some dental bonding done. This procedure is remarkable at fixing chipped teeth, gaps in teeth, as well as evening out color, such what you are dealing with. The dentist will gently remove the surface where the white spots are and then fill in the area with composite bonding material that can blend in naturally with the remainder of the tooth surface.

The one catch here is that you need a skilled cosmetic dentist to do the work, which is done freehand. Your dentist will not be qualified to do this. I would go to another dentist for that procedure. Once your dental bonding is done, you can return to her for all your general dental work.

To make sure you get a dentist that can do this well, I recommend you look at their smile gallery. This is an online brag book of sorts with before and after pictures of cases they’ve actually done. If they don’t have a smile gallery, they do not do quality cosmetic work.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Whitening or Filling First?

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I have amalgam fillings and I want to get rid of them and replace them with the nice mercury-free fillings. I’m excited to finally have white fillings, but I’d also like to whiten my teeth. Is there a particular order to getting this done? Do I get the fillings first and then whiten my teeth or the other way around?

Milo

Dear Milo,

Before and after mercury-free fillings

Sanitary Amalgam Removal

There are actually two things to consider here. The first is who will replace your amalgam fillings. It requires a special procedure in order to be done safely. You will need to go to a dentist who has the equipment and understands the procedure. This is because the mercury will liquify during the procedure unless handled properly. As it is a known neurotoxin you don’t want to swallow or even inhale the mercury vapors.  I would look for a mercury-free dentist. They only do white fillings and will be much more likely to know how to do a sanitary amalgam removal.

Matching Your Composite Fillings

As for the whitening versus the fillings. I would do the teeth whitening procedure first, especially if you have visible fillings. You can’t quite predict a perfect match with teeth whitening, but a dentist with some cosmetic skill can match the composite fillings to the color of your teeth.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.
Click here to read about our free virtual smile makeover consultation.

Tetracycline Stains and No Money

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I have had tetracycline stains on my teeth since childhood. All the research says to put porcelain veneers on your teeth to cover them but my dentist doesn’t do porcelain veneers. He does do crowns, which he has suggested we use. Even that, however, is out of my reach. Are there any other alternatives?

Callie

Dear Callie,

smile with tetracycline stains

I am very glad you wrote. For the benefit of others reading, who may not know what tetracycline stains are (pictured above), I am going to give a brief explanation. Tetracycline is a prescription medication. If you take it before your permanent teeth are formed, which generally happens at the age of twelve, it will deposit in the dentin of your teeth and show up as a dark brown or gray stains.

The best solution to this is porcelain veneers, which would need to be done in the hands of an expert cosmetic dentist. Covering tetracycline stains is one of the most advanced and tricky procedures dentists have to do. They have to make the cover opaque enough to cover the dark stains, but still translucent enough to look sparkling and natural.

Some family dentists who are not skilled in cosmetic dentistry try to make up for this by doing porcelain crowns. I will be honest with you, any dentist that suggests dental crowns for this is a big red flag. They are telling you, “I can’t do porcelain veneers, but I’m totally willing to grind down healthy tooth structure to rake in money for what I do know.” If they don’t do porcelain veneers, they are not skilled enough in cosmetic work to make these crowns look good. Even most dentists who do porcelain veneers don’t have the skills for tetracycline stains.

Tetraycycline Stains and No Money

You have a few options. First, you can leave the teeth as they are while saving up for the high-end (and higher priced) procedure. This obviously would depend on how long it would take you to reach your goal.

Second, you can have teeth whitening done. When you do this, know that it won’t be done in one tube of gel. In fact, you will have to be persistent, but if you are, it will work. One thing to note is I don’t recommend Zoom Whitening for this. It is more expensive than the take-home trays whitening. It is a fantastic whitener, but you will need too many sessions for it to be financially do-able for you. Of course, you could do one zoom appointment to get a jump start and then do the rest with trays. As far as tray teeth whittening goes, see if your dentist offers or is willing to purchase kör whitening for you. This is the most potent gel available.

Your final option is to have the teeth whitening done while saving up. This allows you to make some progress if it is going to take you a long time to get to the cost goal. If you choose this, you may even find you are happy enough with your whitening results that you no longer feel the need for porcelain veneers. Just bear in mind it will take a while for the whitening to really make a difference.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr.Cristi Cheek.

How Long is Whitening Gel Viable?

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I received a free teeth whitening kit with custom trays and some gel when I started with a new dentist. I was so busy with my move, that I completely forgot about them. I was going through an old purse and found the gel. Is that still good? I’m assuming the trays are good forever. It’s been about a year since I moved and had the appointment. I’d like to use it if it is still good, but don’t want to put anything dangerous in my mouth.

Kelli

Dear Kelli,

Teeth Bleaching Trays

Life sure does get busy sometimes, doesn’t it? This is especially true after you’ve moved. I have to say I am impressed that you got a new dentist so quickly. That shows you really do care about the health of your teeth. Let’s start with the trays. These can stay fine for many, many years. The most important thing is that they are kept in a temperate climate. If it is left in the heat, it will warp and that will not be good for your teeth’ alignment. You also don’t want it to have any cracks and such. Other than that, you should be fine.

As for the gel, that is a bit of a different story. Typically, they are good for one year. If your dentist gave them to you immediately after they were manufactured, you should be fine. This is especially true if they were refrigerated which will prolong its life span. I don’t think there will be an expiration date on the tube itself. Generally, that will be stamped on the box that carries the lot. However, you can check. If it is there, go by that.

The good news is most dentists will give you refills on the gel as long as you are keeping up with your cleaning and checkup appointments. So, even if the gel is expired, you can still get your teeth whitened. You would not want to whiten them without having a cleaning first anyway because the results would be spotty.

This blog is brought to you by Marietta Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.