If you went through a dental procedure that requires artificial crowns, you need to think about the present color of your teeth. Are you happy with the way they look now? Or do you want to have whiter teeth? You should think about this before your dentist places your dental crowns. The dentist will match the color of your crowns with the color of your teeth. Remember bleaching solutions cannot whiten artificial teeth.
If you’ve decided that you want whiter teeth, you can ask your dentist about at-home teeth bleaching. Your dentist will make customized dental trays that fit your teeth. You will also be given tubes of bleaching gel. Your dentist will give you step by step instructions on how to use them. Basically you will apply the gel on the tray and wear the tray for one to two hours at night. One of the benefits of bleaching at home versus in the dental office is that you have control over the treatment. You can stop the treatment when you feel that you’ve already achieved the color that you want. The usual duration of this treatment is 10-14 days depending on the condition and desired outcome.
During the treatment period, you can expect your teeth to be sensitive to hot or cold beverage or even air. Don’t worry. This will go away when you’re done with the treatment. But there are things you can do to manage the sensitivity. One is to bleach only every other night instead of every night. You can also ask your dentist to prescribe a fluoride gel that can ease sensitivity.
When you have achieved the color you want for your teeth, your dentist will wait for three to four weeks before choosing a color for your artificial crown. The waiting period gives your new teeth color time to stabilize.
Teeth bleaching is very effective but the results will not last for a very long time. After two years or so, the color of your teeth will be darker than your artificial crown. So you will again need to bleach your teeth. You will probably need to bleach your teeth every two to three years to match your artificial crown.
