Three years ago I got eight porcelain veneers (the Lumineers brand) put on my top teeth. I didn’t have them do anything about my bottom teeth at that time. Now I am wondering if I can bleach my teeth or if that will damage my porcelain veneers. I’ve moved away from my dentist and don’t have a new one to ask this yet.
Helen in Orlando, FL
Dear Helen,
It is not clear from your question whether you are talking about bleaching just your bottom teeth or if you want to whiten your porcelain veneers, too. Porcelain veneers cannot be whitened with bleaching products, so I hope you are only talking about whitening your lower teeth. The only kind of whitening product we recommend for patients with porcelain veneers are Crest Whitestrips or similar products, where the strip of adhesive material holds the peroxide gel against the teeth.
The problem with Whitestrips and products like that is that they are really designed to fit comfortably on the top six front teeth. You can try to trim them down to fit better, but most products like this are not cheap, and that could get surprisingly expensive. It may be well worth the time and money to just visit a dentist for an in-office teeth whitening treatment. Some offices offer new patients free whitening treatments. For most dental treatments (cosmetic and otherwise) it is rarely a good idea to price shop, but teeth whitening is a simple procedure.
York PA cosmetic dentist Dr. Currie and his office provide this blog as a courtesy.