If you’re interested in whitening your teeth, you may also wonder if there’s anything that might interfere with the success of the whitening process. Read on to learn more about this whitening process, what can and can’t be whitened, and when is the best time for a whitening treatment.
What are veneers?
Dental veneers are thin coverings placed over the teeth to quickly create a beautiful smile. They’re perfect for those who have stained or chipped teeth as well as those with gaps. Veneers look natural and can serve as a means of protection for your teeth after they are placed. Veneers are typically made of either porcelain or composite resin.
Can you whiten veneers?
Much like dental implants, veneers can only be whitened prior to being placed in your mouth. Talk to your Little Rock dentist about a customized plan if you’re interested in whitening and veneers. You could potentially go through a whitening treatment first, then get veneers matched to your whiter smile.
Porcelain veneers are resistant to most stains, but you should still be careful with dark-colored foods and drinks with veneers, so they maintain the level of brightness you want. While you can’t get them any whiter than their original color, your dentist can clean porcelain thoroughly to help restore its whiteness.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign is an alternative to braces used to straighten teeth. They’re clear and unnoticeable, and help shift your teeth into the proper position. A few reasons you may need Invisalign include having an overbite, underbite, crooked, crowded, or overlapping teeth.
The health benefits of better-aligned teeth include easier care with brushing and flossing, improved ability to chew, alleviation of dental-caused speech impairments, and reduced risk of cavities, periodontal disease, and injuries from protruding teeth.
Can you use teeth whitening with Invisalign?
If you’re already doing an Invisalign treatment, you may be wondering if you can still whiten your teeth. If you’re planning to get Invisalign soon and are also interested in teeth whitening, you may be curious if the best time to whiten would be before, during, or after Invisalign. The great news is you can whiten your teeth anytime regardless of where you are in an Invisalign process.
Moreover, since they’re removable, you can also do a whitening treatment before, during, or after Invisalign with no issues. Whiter teeth may be the perfect compliment to your newly straightened smile.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are essentially a replacement for a tooth’s root. They’re made of titanium hardware and feature external threads like a screw. The implant is placed into the bone of your jaw, and a crown is placed on top of this to provide a replacement for an absent tooth.
The benefits of implants include an improved ability to eat and drink, since the implant looks and feels like a normal tooth. Self-esteem is often improved too, especially if you were previously shy about smiling due to a space of a lost tooth.
Can dental implants be whitened?
Once implants are in your mouth, they can’t be whitened. Traditional whitening treatments don’t work on porcelain or most bonding materials. However, it’s possible to whiten prosthetic products before installing them.
Your dentist will match the stain of porcelain to your closest tooth color prior to placing them in your mouth, and the porcelain prosthetics are highly resistant to stains. In fact, they’ll likely stay the same color regardless of what food and beverages they are exposed to.
When is the best time to do a whitening treatment?
The best time for this is when you have a healthy mouth with no treatments needed. The next day after a cleaning is ideal, as your teeth are their cleanest with any plaque build-up freshly removed. To get the best results from your teeth whitening, make sure you’re up to date with your cleaning and examinations. This way the whitening solution will not have to work as hard to get through the barrier to deeper stains.
To support getting great results, floss daily, and rinse out your mouth after consuming dark-colored foods or drinks, such as coffee or berries. The best candidate for teeth whitening is anyone with a healthy mouth.
Further explore your dental & whitening options
A customized dental plan can do wonders regardless of whether you have veneers, Invisalign, or implants. To get your ideal smile, contact Arkansas Family Dental today at (501) 683-8886 to schedule an appointment.
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