Cosmetic Dentist: When Teeth Whitening Won’t Work

Although effective in most situations, teeth whitening treatments may fail to remove certain stains from teeth. For this reason, your Ankeny IA cosmetic dentist, Dr. Erika Peddicord, encourages her patients to attend a consultation before choosing a treatment. During a consultation, Dr. Peddicord can examine your teeth to make sure they are healthy enough to receive whitening treatment and to make sure that the stains you are targeting can be removed with a whitening procedure. There is a possibility that your teeth could be discolored by intrinsic stains (stains inside of teeth) rather than extrinsic stains (stains on the surface of teeth). If this is the case, the whitening agents in the whitening solution will be unable to reach and remove these stains.

Solutions to Intrinsic Stains

If Dr. Peddicord determines that intrinsic stains are detracting from your smile, don’t fret. She offers two options—porcelain veneers and dental bonding—for enhancing your smile. Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are designed to look like natural teeth. Dr. Peddicord will bond these shells to the front surface of your teeth to hide the stains. Dental bonding works in a similar fashion, but masks stains through the use of a composite resin material. This material has a putty-like consistency until it is hardened with a special light. Once hardened, composite resin is very durable and will hide intrinsic stains for many years.

Porcelain Veneers vs. Dental Bonding

In choosing between porcelain veneers and dental bonding, you will want to consider several factors. First, dental bonding is more affordable than porcelain veneers. The composite resin, however, is less durable than the porcelain of the veneers. You should, therefore, factor in the long-term costs of each procedure. In addition, porcelain veneers are widely acknowledged as having better cosmetic results than dental bonding. The porcelain material reflects light to mimic the surface of a natural tooth in a way that composite resin cannot. However, some patients choose not to receive veneers, preferring to avoid tooth preparation, which requires the removal of small amounts of enamel.

About Peddicord Family Dentistry: Dr. Erika Peddicord of Peddicord Family Dentistry received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. Her enthusiasm for building lasting relationships with her patients and her dedication to oral health set her apart as an outstanding family dentist. Patients can schedule an appointment with Dr. Peddicord by calling (515) 963-3339.