Can You Whiten Veneers?

Dental veneers can help fix a wide range of cosmetic problems and give you the beautiful, Hollywood-like smile you've always wanted. However, veneers don't last forever and over time you may start noticing stains or discoloration on them. If that's the case, can you whiten your veneers to maintain your beautiful smile for longer?

Why Did My Veneers Get Stained?

Porcelain dental veneers in Windsor are more resistant to staining than your natural teeth. That said, they can still get discolored over time due to several reasons:

• Smoking: Tobacco use is one of the main causes of stained teeth. Tobacco can affect your natural teeth as well as your veneers.
• Your Diet: If you consume staining foods and beverages regularly, then you can expect your veneers to get discolored faster. Staining items include coffee, red wine, tea, red sauces, soy sauce, berries, citrus fruits, and so on. While you shouldn't completely give up these foods, try to limit their consumption. You can also try to drink your coffee through a straw.
• The Age of Your Veneers: Your veneers will lose some of their brightness and white color in time. It can happen because of regular wear and tear, microabrasions from brushing, or the discoloration of the cement that bonds the veneers to your natural teeth.

Can I Whiten My Veneers?

Unfortunately, neither professional nor at-home whitening treatments don't work on veneers. Unlike your natural teeth, dental veneers are not porous, which means that the bleaching agent in whitening treatment can't penetrate the surface of the veneers.

However, you may be able to remove some surface stains with professional dental cleanings.

But, if your veneers are too discolored or severely stained, your dentist will probably recommend that you replace them with new ones.

How to Keep Your Veneers Brighter for Longer

As we said, veneers don't stain very easily. Even so, you can take a few preventive steps to make sure that your veneers will stay bright for many years to come.

• Limit the consumption of staining foods and beverages. If you do consume them, try to brush or rinse your teeth with water soon after.
• Use a specially formulated toothpaste that is gentler and won't scratch your veneers.
• Use a soft toothbrush to avoid microabrasions.
• Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings.
• Don't use your teeth as tools to avoid damaging them.

I Don't Like My Veneers Anymore. What Next?

You may be a bit disappointed to learn that you can't whiten your veneers. But, try to look at the bright side. If your veneers only have some surface stains, you can probably remove them with professional cleaning. And, if your veneers are severely discolored, then this is an opportunity to remove them, whiten your natural teeth, and then get a new set of brighter veneers.

Visit us at Water Valley Dental so we can have a look at your veneers and determine what you should do next.

Contact us online or drop us a line, and we will get right back to you.