I have been really happy with my dental implants. They are in place of my two front teeth. They are holding up well and look really natural. Although, I still cringe when I look in the mirror because I don’t love my smile. I’d like to get some cosmetic dentistry done to improve my look. My dental implants show when I smile. So, I’m wondering the best approach.

Is it true that dental implants cannot be whitened? If so, then what are my options? Will placing porcelain veneers over top of the implants work? Then, I could get the rest of the surrounding teeth whitened? Do you have any advice?

-Jena in Connecticut

Jena,

Dental implants cannot be whitened. Teeth bleaching techniques only work on natural teeth. Dental implants are usually made from porcelain or another material. So, they cannot be whitened. The implants are highly stain resistant, so the idea is that they won’t become discolored. Ideally,you should have had your teeth whitened prior to getting the porcelain crowns placed onto the implants.

There are laboratories that may be able to change the color of a crown. But, they are usually made to be darker. It would be very difficult to make the crown appear lighter since the color is baked in. Also, placing a porcelain veneer over the dental implant won’t work. It wouldn’t look right and likely wouldn’t function well either.

Since the crowns are on the two front teeth, your options are limited. Unfortunately, you would have to get the crowns replaced after your natural teeth were whitened to the color you desire. Then, the new crowns could be made to match perfectly. Keep in mind, this wouldn’t mean going through the entire dental implant process over again. You would only need to have the crown replaced. The posts and screws that were surgically implanted into your jaw will be fine.

Thank you for your question. Hopefully, this post will help others that are considering dental implants. It’s always best to do the teeth whitening before getting the permanent crowns placed on the implants.