Whitening with Crowns, Veneers and Fillings: What Will and Will Not Change
This page is for adults considering whitening with crowns, veneers, fillings or composite bonding. Whitening lightens natural teeth only, so dental work keeps its colour and may stand out afterwards. In general, whitening comes first, and any replacement restoration is matched to the whitened teeth and has its own fees. At Deepcar Dental Care, reasons whitening is not suitable include having many front crowns or veneers.
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Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, dentist · GDC 301711
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It does not replace an examination or treatment by a dentist.
This page was reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, principal dentist at Deepcar Dental Care, a General Dental Practitioner registered with the GDC under number 301711.
What does whitening change, and what does it not?
Whitening lightens natural teeth only: crowns, veneers and fillings will not change colour. NHS guidance says teeth whitening can only lighten the colour of natural teeth, and the Oral Health Foundation says whitening will not work on fillings, crowns or veneers.
Dental work does not respond to whitening gel the way enamel does: whitening does not lighten restorations, including composite bonding and composite veneers. A review in the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association notes that, unlike enamel, composite restorations do not change colour when bleached. The main page on professionally whitening your teeth explains teeth whitening with our dentists.
Which restorations are most likely to stand out after whitening?
Restorations that show when you smile, usually on front teeth, are most likely to stand out once the natural teeth around them lighten.
- Crowns, including porcelain crowns, cover the whole visible part of a tooth and keep the shade they were made in.
- Porcelain veneers and composite veneers cover the front surface of a tooth and keep the colour they were made in.
- White fillings and composite bonding on front teeth are matched to the tooth when they are placed, and whitening does not lighten them.
- Bridges and dentures are not natural teeth either, and NHS guidance says whitening can only lighten the colour of natural teeth.
Back-tooth restorations that do not show when you smile matter less for how your smile looks. The pages on porcelain veneers, composite veneers and white fillings explain how each is made and placed.
Patients with many front crowns or veneers are among those for whom whitening is not suitable at Deepcar Dental Care.
What order of treatment avoids a mismatch?
In general, whitening comes first, and any new or replacement restoration is matched to the whitened teeth afterwards.
A review in the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association advises telling patients that existing restorations may need replacing after whitening. In general, the order runs:
- Health check: the dentist checks your teeth and gums are healthy, because NHS guidance says whitening is not done on unhealthy teeth or gums.
- Whitening: whitening gel is used to lighten the natural teeth.
- Matching: any new crown, veneer, filling or bonding is made to match the whitened teeth, with its shade taken after whitening rather than before.
The page on dental shade matching explains how tooth colour is measured and reproduced.
Whitening first, then direct composite bonding, is an order of treatment Deepcar Dental Care offers, and whitening before direct bonding is optional, not required. For composite bonding and veneers, the page on getting the order of treatment right compares whitening first with keeping your current colour.
What does replacing restorations add to the cost?
Replacing crowns, veneers or fillings to match whitened teeth is a treatment in its own right, with its own fees.
On the current fee list, white composite fillings are £150 to £220, all-ceramic crowns and all-ceramic veneers are from £750 to £1,000, and composite bonding is from £300 per tooth. Composite veneers have no line on the fee list.
In general, if a visible crown or filling is already due for replacement, whitening first lets the new one be matched to the lighter shade. The whitening cost page sets out what it costs to whiten your teeth.
To ask about whitening with existing crowns, veneers or fillings, book online or call 0114 288 2121.
What are the risks and limits of whitening?
The main limit is a shade mismatch: natural teeth lighten while crowns, veneers, fillings and bonding stay as they are.
NHS guidance lists whitening side effects including sensitivity to cold or sweet food and drink, sore gums or throat, and white patches on the gums, and advises talking to your dentist about any side effect that bothers you. At the practice, sensitivity is possible while whitening, desensitising gel is supplied, and sensitivity usually settles within about 2 weeks of finishing.
Reasons whitening is not suitable at Deepcar Dental Care include:
- under-18s
- pregnancy or breastfeeding
- active decay or gum disease
- heavy tetracycline staining
- patients with many front crowns or veneers
Who provides whitening and replacement restorations at the practice?
At Deepcar Dental Care, whitening is provided by our dentists. Cosmetic treatments, including porcelain veneers, composite veneers, composite bonding, ceramic crowns for cosmetic reasons and replacing old discoloured fillings, are provided by our cosmetic dentists. Other crowns are provided by our restorative dentists.
How does the practice take a shade for cosmetic work?
Cosmetic planning at Deepcar Dental Care includes shade taking under corrected lighting. Digital shade matching is used, and patients may visit the laboratory for shade taking where needed. No overseas laboratory work is used.
What else affects whether whitening suits you?
Age, pregnancy, gum disease and decay also affect whether whitening suits you, and you can browse this section for the pages on them. If whitening looks likely to suit you, a separate page covers working out which option suits.
Frequently asked questions
Do veneers whiten?
No. The Oral Health Foundation says whitening will not work on veneers, so porcelain and composite veneers keep the colour they were made in. With veneers on your front teeth, the natural teeth beside them may end up looking lighter than the veneers, so ask the dentist how your veneers fit with whitening.
Does composite bonding whiten?
No. Composite bonding is tooth-coloured composite, and whitening does not lighten it. Bonding matched before whitening may then look darker than the whitened teeth beside it. Surface staining of bonding over time is a maintenance question rather than a whitening one, and the page on how bonding behaves with coffee and wine covers it.
Will my crown match after whitening?
Not necessarily. A crown keeps the shade it was made in, so whether it still matches depends on how your natural teeth respond to whitening. If a front crown no longer matches, changing its colour means replacing it with a new crown made to match the whitened teeth, which adds its own cost.
Should I replace white fillings before or after whitening?
In general, after, when a filling is replaced only to match the new colour. A white filling is matched to the tooth colour when it is placed, so replacing it after whitening lets the new filling match the lighter shade. Active decay is one of the reasons whitening is not suitable at Deepcar Dental Care.
Can I whiten only my upper or lower teeth?
Yes, whitening a single arch, the upper or the lower teeth, is an option at Deepcar Dental Care. Crowns, veneers and fillings on that arch still keep their colour, and the other arch keeps its current shade, so ask the dentist whether one arch suits the dental work you already have.
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Deepcar Dental Care is at 334 Manchester Road, Deepcar, Sheffield, S36 2RH, with free parking directly outside, and the practice is on the ground floor and wheelchair accessible. You can read what patients say on our patient reviews page.
334 Manchester Road
Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH
0114 288 2121
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