Can You Whiten Composite Bonding, Veneers, Crowns or Fillings?

You’ve had your teeth whitened and they look great. Apart from the bonding on your front teeth, which hasn’t moved an inch. Sound familiar? Or maybe you haven’t whitened yet and you’re wondering what’ll happen to your veneers, crowns or fillings if you do.

It catches a lot of people out. Especially if they’ve spent good money on cosmetic work and want the whole smile to match.

So, can you whiten composite bonding? No. Not with whitening gel, anyway. Our teeth whitening gel only changes the colour of natural teeth. It won’t change the colour of fillings, veneers, crowns, bridges or dentures, and bonding is made from the same kind of tooth-coloured composite as many white fillings.

You’re not stuck with a mismatched smile, though. Plan it right and we can whiten your natural teeth first, then match any new or replacement work to that lighter shade. Below we go through each type of dental work in turn, and what can actually be done about it.

Can Composite Bonding Be Whitened?

No. Composite bonding whitening isn’t really a thing, at least not in the bleaching sense.

Bonding is a tooth-coloured composite resin. When we place composite bonding, you choose a shade from our range of resins to closely match your tooth colour. We bond it to the tooth, shape it, then cure it with a light so it sets hard. It’s matched to your teeth as they were on the day.

So if you have teeth whitening with composite bonding already in place, your natural teeth will go lighter and the bonded areas won’t. On back teeth you’d probably never notice. On the front four? The difference can be obvious.

That’s why it pays to talk to us about the order of treatment before you start. A bit of planning now saves a lot of frustration later.

How to Whiten Composite Bonding (And Why Home Kits Won’t Do It)

Search how to whiten composite bonding at home and you’ll find whitening toothpastes, strips and kits all promising results.

None of them will change the colour of the resin.

Even our own home whitening, with trays made for your teeth, works on natural enamel only. Shop-bought kits are no different. On bonding they do nothing useful.

If you’ve got stained composite bonding, or it just looks a bit yellow, there are two realistic routes.

Getting it checked and cleaned

Some of the dullness people notice is staining on the surface. Come in and we’ll look at whether that’s what you’re dealing with and whether a clean will help.

Refreshing or replacing the bonding

Composite can be adjusted, and it can be repaired or replaced by adding new composite. If the resin itself has discoloured or worn, we’ll look at whether refreshing some or all of it would give a better match.

The first job is working out which of those you’re dealing with. Surface marks and a change in the material can look similar in the mirror, but they’re dealt with differently.

Does Composite Bonding Stain?

It can, yes. Composite bonding staining is one of the most common reasons people ask us about whitening in the first place.

Porcelain is much better at resisting stains than composite. Coffee, tea, red wine and smoking all leave their mark on teeth over time, and composite is more prone to picking that up than porcelain is.

A darker shade doesn’t automatically mean your bonding needs replacing. Sometimes it’s surface staining. Sometimes it isn’t. We’ll tell you which.

If you want to keep composite bonding white for longer, brush for at least two minutes, floss every day and keep coming in for your check-ups. Cutting back on coffee, wine and smoking helps too.

Can You Whiten Veneers?

No. Veneers can’t be whitened with bleaching gel, whatever they’re made of.

Porcelain veneers are made from porcelain. Composite veneers use tooth-coloured composite. Whitening gel doesn’t change the colour of either, so teeth whitening with veneers will lighten the natural teeth around them and leave the veneers as they are.

Can veneers be whitened if they’re porcelain? Still no. Porcelain is highly resistant to staining, and whitening gel doesn’t change its colour.

Veneer whitening isn’t an option, but the colour was never meant to change in the first place. When we make your veneers, we match the colour, shape and size to your teeth. If you want your whole smile lighter, it makes sense to whiten your natural teeth before the shade is chosen.

If your veneers no longer match the teeth beside them, come and see us. We’ll talk you through what’s possible.

Do Veneers Stain?

Porcelain veneers are highly resistant to staining, and they resist wear and stains much better than composite ones.

Composite veneers are made from a durable material, but porcelain is the stronger choice for keeping its colour. Composite veneers do have one advantage here. They can be repaired or replaced by adding more composite material.

Coffee, tea and red wine are the usual culprits for staining. Daily flossing around your veneers and regular check-ups go a long way to keeping them looking good.

Not happy with the colour? We can check whether your veneers need attention or whether replacing them is worth thinking about.

Can You Whiten Crowns?

No. Whitening gel won’t change the colour of a crown, so if you’re looking up how to whiten crowns, the honest answer is that you can’t.

A crown covers the whole visible part of a tooth. Crowns can be made from several materials, including gold, metal and porcelain. Our dental crowns are mainly porcelain-based, matched to the colour and shade of your teeth. Once it’s fitted, that’s the colour it stays.

That matters most for front teeth. Teeth whitening with crowns nearby will lighten the natural teeth around them, and the crown can end up looking darker than the teeth beside it, even though it hasn’t changed at all.

So can crowns be whitened before a new one goes in? Not the crown itself. But if you’re having a crown made and want a brighter smile, whiten first. We’ll then match the crown to your new colour.

What If My Dental Crown Has Turned Yellow?

A yellow crown is worth getting looked at. The crown’s colour won’t have been changed by whitening, so the question is why it now looks different to the teeth around it.

Sometimes it’s the teeth beside it that have changed. Sometimes there’s more going on with the crown itself.

Either way, whitening won’t change the crown. Come in and we’ll check it over and talk you through the options, including whether a replacement crown matched to your current shade makes sense. If the tooth under it is aching too, have a read of our guide to tooth pain under a crown.

Can You Whiten Fillings?

No. Fillings stay the colour they are, and that includes white fillings.

Many white fillings are made from composite resin, and we choose the colour to match your tooth when we place them. Whitening gel won’t change that colour afterwards.

If yours are on back teeth, it’s unlikely to matter. Front-tooth fillings are where you might notice it. After whitening, the enamel around them goes lighter and the fillings don’t.

Small fillings often blend in fine. Larger ones near the front of the smile can stand out more.

You can still have teeth whitening with fillings. We’ll just look at whether any visible ones need attention once you’ve reached a shade you’re happy with.

Can You Whiten Dentures or False Teeth?

No. Tooth whitening can’t change the colour of dentures. The same goes for bridges.

Whitening only works on natural teeth, so there’s no gel or kit that will lighten false teeth. Don’t try regular toothpaste or other cleaners on dentures either. They’re abrasive and can damage denture materials.

If your dentures have discoloured, bring them in and we’ll take a look. We can advise on what will help.

Should You Whiten Your Teeth Before Composite Bonding, Veneers or Crowns?

Yes, if you want a lighter smile. It’s usually the better order.

If you’re considering composite bonding and teeth whitening together, it’s generally best to whiten your natural teeth first. Your bonding, veneers and crowns are all matched to the shade of your teeth, so we can match the new work to your whitened teeth. Do it the other way round and your dental work can end up darker than the teeth around it.

Here’s roughly how it goes. You’ll start with an examination, where we check your teeth and gums are healthy enough for whitening and show you a realistic idea of the shade you can expect. If whitening suits you, we’ll do that next, either at home with trays made for your teeth or with Enlighten, which combines home and in-surgery whitening. Our dentists supervise the treatment and advise you on the shade you’re aiming for, and your teeth lighten gradually so you can stop once you reach a shade you’re happy with. After that, your bonding, veneers or crown can be matched to it.

It’s especially worth getting right if you’re having several front teeth done at once. Still weighing it up? Our guide to how much teeth whitening costs in the UK is a good place to start.

Already have bonding, veneers or crowns? We can tell you whether whitening your natural teeth and then updating the existing work would give you a more even result.

Planning the colour around your natural teeth is easy. Trying to change the colour of a restoration after it’s made isn’t.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thinking About Whitening Your Teeth?

If you’ve got bonding, veneers, crowns or fillings, it’s worth knowing how they’ll look next to your natural teeth before you start whitening.

At Droitwich Dental Studio, we’ll look at your existing dental work, talk through the shade you’d like and explain which treatments make sense for you. Getting the order right makes a real difference to how the finished smile looks.

Find out more about our teeth whitening in Droitwich, or have a look at our composite bonding, veneers and dental crowns. Ring us on 01905 797733 or book online and we’ll take it from there.