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I have a front tooth that needs a dental crown. I whitened my teeth about 3 years ago and want to touch them up before getting this dental crown so it will be the right whiteness. I have a few questions before jumping into this. How many days or weeks should I whiten? Is there an amount of time each day that is recommended? Do I need to have any time period between when I stop whitening and when I get the dental crown? I think I read somewhere the color needs to settle.
Christy
Dear Christy,
I am assuming that you have already asked the dentist who is doing your crown this question and he or she could not answer it. We’ll get into that in a moment. Let’s start by answering your questions. The first two will have vague-ish answers. The amount of time you whiten is not set in stone. The more you whiten, the faster you will reach the level of whiteness you want. The easiest option is to wear your teeth whitening trays while you sleep. It’s the most effective. However, some people experience sensitivity doing it that way. If that is you, just go as long as you can tolerate each day, trying for at least twenty minutes.
The third question is the easiest. You want to wait for a minimum of one week between the time you stop your teeth whitening and you get your crown. This will give the color time to settle.
I am a tad concerned your dentist was not able to answer these questions for you. Teeth whitening is one of the easiest cosmetic procedures there are and he doesn’t seem familiar with it. If you were getting a dental crown on your back tooth, this would not bother me too much. You don’t need much cosmetic skill to crown a back tooth. A front tooth is a completely different story. This takes a high level of both cosmetic skill and artistry. Do yourself a favor and ask to see before and after images of crowns he’s done on front teeth. Make sure you like what you see. If not, you will be better served with someone else doing this procedure for you.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.