When you ask people what they wish they could change about their smile, one of the most common things you’ll find is people wishing that they had whiter teeth. That may be part of why teeth whitening is such a popular style of cosmetic treatment.
Even if you’re missing teeth and have had a dental implant in the past, you may wonder if teeth whitening could help you. Here’s what you should know about the prospect of brightening your smile when you have dental implants.
Can Dental Implants Be Whitened?
The part of the dental implant that you can see is known as the crown, and for the most part, they’re made of porcelain. Porcelain is different from enamel in several ways, but the one most relevant here is that it’s much less porous, meaning liquids can’t penetrate it as deeply.
On the bright side, this means that porcelain collects stains much more slowly than enamel will. However, it’s also the case that the whitening solution used in dentistry won’t be able to affect porcelain to the same extent. In general, professional whitening is ineffective on porcelain for this reason.
What If I Want to Brighten My Smile?
The fact that porcelain isn’t affected by bleaching solution makes professional whitening a little complicated for patients with dental implants. After all, whitening their teeth will make the dental implant a different color from the rest of the teeth, causing it to look fake.
If you want to get a whiter smile, there are two ways to go about it. If you haven’t gotten your dental implant yet, the best thing to do is to whiten your smile then get a dental implant colored to match.
If you have had a dental implant placed already, you may have noticed that it’s managed to collect some stains over time. After all, even though porcelain will stain more slowly than natural teeth, it can still be discolored eventually.
If you want to brighten your dental implant, you may want to ask your dentist if they can’t replace the porcelain on your dental implant with another, brighter piece of ceramic. Then they can use teeth whitening to bring your teeth back to perfection!
About Our Practice
At Carlson Dental Group on Bartram Park, we hear from our patients all the time that we give them an experience with oral healthcare unlike any other that they’ve had before. Everyone on our team is deeply dedicated to what they do and will work hard to ensure that you have the happiest and most comfortable experience receiving high-quality oral healthcare.
If you have any questions about teeth whitening, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (904) 262-8409.