If you're considering whitening your teeth, you may be wondering if it will work on your dental crowns. Unfortunately, the answer is no. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), whitening treatments won't affect the color of your crowns. The crown will remain the same color as when the dentist placed it in the mouth.
The bleaching agent used to whiten teeth cannot act on stains that may accumulate in the restoration. Therefore, if someone continues with teeth whitening, their natural teeth may look whiter than dental crowns, causing an uneven appearance. Unfortunately, people who wonder if dental crowns can be whitened will be disappointed to learn that, like intrinsic stains, they can't. Once they are placed inside the mouth, whether the teeth get stained or whitened, the color of the crown will stay the same.
Unlike natural teeth, the peroxide used to whiten teeth does not react to tooth colored crown material or filling. They cannot be whitened and will always stay the same shade, even if you whiten the rest of your teeth. Yes, you can whiten your teeth if you already have dental crowns. However, the bleaching agent will not affect the color of the crowns, so it's important to consider if this is a good option for you.
To successfully whiten your teeth, you must keep the whitening product in contact with the natural tooth surface for a minimum amount of time. While laser whitening is faster and often more effective than home and other professional whitening procedures, it's still designed only to treat natural teeth and doesn't work on crowns or other dental work. If your natural teeth start to turn yellow or stain, you may want to look to whiten those teeth to match your brightest crowns. A restoration that fits your smile is one of the many reasons it's important to choose a dentist who is willing to work with you to achieve ideal results. Conscious tone matching is a very important component of the restorative process.