Why Did Whitening Make My Fillings, Crowns, or Veneers Stand Out

Many patients use whitening strips or toothpaste to brighten their smile, only to discover that teeth whitening made fillings stand out, or made crowns or veneers look darker than other teeth. This happens because natural enamel responds to bleaching gels differently than restorative materials do. Once natural teeth get several shades lighter, restorations like fillings, crowns, or veneers appear duller or mismatched with the teeth around them. Unfortunately, this can’t be fixed just by buying a more expensive whitening treatment or applying the gel more frequently.

The only way to achieve a more uniform smile is with the help of a knowledgeable dentist who can match restorations more closely to natural teeth. Find out which techniques can be used for the brightest, most beautiful smile.

Why Isn’t Whitening Veneers or Crowns Possible?

Whitening treatments don’t lighten restorations beyond their original color because materials used for fillings (composite resin), crowns (porcelain), and veneers are synthetic and non-porous. They do not chemically react to whitening products, meaning they will permanently remain the exact shade the dentist originally matched to pre-whitened teeth. However, stains acquired after placement can be removed.

What Techniques Can Dentists Use for Whitening Dental Work?

For dental work to match a newly whitened smile, the following techniques can be used:

Professional Cleaning and Polishing

Extrinsic stains caused by coffee, tea, red wine, or tobacco can make dental work look darker. Some patients wonder if in-office treatment will whiten dental restorations when at-home products won’t. The answer is no, because professional bleaching treatments must also bond to the enamel to work. In-office treatments, even those that use lasers to expedite the bleaching process, will not be able to permeate through porcelain, resin, or composite. Some professional at-home whitening products, such as ILLUME, may be able to lift stains, but it’s important to keep in mind that they can’t lighten restorations beyond their original color.

In the dental office, dentists remove stains with techniques including:

Selective Polishing: Using specialized, non-abrasive polishing pastes and tools designed specifically for cosmetic dental work removes surface stains without scratching the surface glaze of the porcelain or composite.
Ultrasonic Cleaning: During a routine cleaning, ultrasonic scaling can gently vibrate off hardened plaque and stain buildup around the margins of crowns and fillings.

Keep in mind that these techniques won’t match the restorations exactly to bleached teeth; however, it will lighten them so they match the others more closely.

Surface Re-bonding (For Composite Fillings)

If a composite resin filling (tooth-colored filling) is structurally sound but has severe surface staining, a dentist may be able to buff away the outermost stained layer of resin and apply a new, lighter layer of composite over the top to more closely match the whitened teeth around it.

Restoration Replacement

If a patient is planning on having a crown, veneer, or filling replaced, it may be a good time to have teeth whitened since the dentist can create the restoration to match whitened teeth.

After the patient has teeth whitened, a dentist will carefully customize the restoration to match the lighter shade. It’s best to wait about two weeks to select a color that will complement surrounding teeth, because bleach dehydrates the enamel, altering how light reflects off the tooth surface and making them look very bright. During the first 24 to 48 hours, the enamel reabsorbs moisture from saliva, causing the shade to “soften” slightly. Within about two weeks, the whitening treatment settles into the enamel.

Some dental offices offer same-day crowns and veneers, while others will need to send them out to another location.