Quit Smoking And Plan To Get Porcelain Veneers? Whiten Your Teeth Now

Dentist Blog

If you recently quit smoking and plan to get porcelain veneers in the next couple of weeks, you may want to whiten your teeth before your treatment. Although porcelain veneers will cover the tobacco stains on the crowns of your treated teeth, your untreated teeth will still appear dark and unhealthy. In addition, the tobacco stains may cause problems with your porcelain veneers in the future. Here's what you should know about your tobacco-stained teeth and why it's a good idea to whiten them now.

How Do Tobacco Stains Affect Your Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers are shell-like structures that cover the front portions of your teeth crowns. To ensure that your veneers fit properly and last, a dentist places them close to the gumline. A dentist may also seal and prep the margins or areas between the gumline and veneers during placement.  But if your gumline recedes in the future due to inflammation, gum disease or aging, it can expose the dark stains along your gumline and make your veneers appear uneven or unattractive. The cement used to adhere your veneers can also attract stains once your gums recede.

It may be very difficult to remove the exposed stains with whitening treatments. The treatments may aggravate your inflamed gums and cause swelling and in the tissues. A dentist will generally need to treat the inflammation with antibiotics and cleanings before covering and filling in the exposed tooth enamel with porcelain or composite material.

You can avoid complications like the ones above by simply whitening your teeth before you get veneers.

What's the Best Tooth Whitening Treatment for You?

Because you're pressed for time, a dentist may offer one-hour tooth whitening treatments to get rid of your tobacco stains. The treatment usually involves the use of a laser and chemical solution made with hydrogen or carbamide peroxide. The chemicals remove stains that appear on the outer and inner surfaces of your teeth crowns by penetrating the pores on them.

You may feel a bubbling action as the chemicals break down the stains. The laser heats up the chemicals to speed up the whitening process, which typically completes in 45 minutes or less. If the whitening treatment doesn't achieve the results you desire right away, a dentist may schedule you for additional visits. This is something you should discuss with a dentist before you have your teeth whitened.

To find out more about whitening your teeth before you get veneers placed, contact a dental provider like Smile Designs Of The Shenandoah Valley near you.

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26 January 2016

Dealing With Dental Dilemmas: Soft Teeth and Dental Care

Being born with naturally soft teeth, I've spent a lot of time in and out of the dentist's office. Not only have I learned a lot about basic dental care, I've also discovered many tips for dealing with broken teeth, extractions, implants, and more. I decided that I wanted to make the most of my experience by sharing what I've learned with others. True first-hand experience is a great teacher, and I knew that my story could help. I created this site to do just that, and I hope that the information here helps you to understand what to expect from your dental problems.