Whiten or Replace Fillings First
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My teeth have turned a bit yellow over the years. I would really like to whiten them. However, I have a bunch of fillings in my mouth. Do I need to replace those first, in order to get them whiter before focusing on my teeth. Or, should I do it the other way around?
Callie Anne
Dear Callie Anne,
You’ll want to do the teeth whitening first. This is because you can determine the color exactly of a filling by mixing the ingredients and stains properly. But, with teeth whitening you can’t know exactly when to stop the whitening procedure. Even after you stop it, the teeth whitening gel will continue to whiten for up to two weeks. If you whiten your teeth, then a skilled cosmetic dentist can match the composite to the color you end up with.
This is a great an inexpensive way to upgrade your smile. Sort of like a mini smile makeover. If, however, you want a complete smile makeover, like the ones Hollywood celebrities get, than you might consider getting porcelain veneers. This procedure uses tiny wafers of porcelain. You can change anything you want about your smile, including the size, color, shape, and even the character about your smile.
The only downside of these is they are much more expensive than teeth whitening which you were originally planning. If whitening is the only thing that you need, then I would save your money.
If you’re going with the teeth whitening, then you can go to just about any dentist to get it done. The composite bonding takes more skill. Porcelain veneers requires real expertise.
Unfortunately for patients, cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. This means any dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist whether or not they have invested in any post-doctoral training. Don’t hesitate to ask them what type of post-doctoral training they completed. A couple of great institutions to listen for are the Dawson Academy and the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies.
This blog is brought to you by Arnold, MD Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Meredith Esposito.