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Advanced cosmetic and general dentistry

3 Possible Causes of Yellow Dental Crowns and What You Can Do About It

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In September 2019, I received six crowns on my upper front teeth, and they are turning yellow. I’m not a smoker, soda or coffee drinker, or a sugar addict. Although the crowns were beautiful when I received them, they now look like I forgot to brush my teeth this morning. I’m afraid to return to the dentist who placed my crowns. Before I make an appointment with anyone, will you please give me some ideas about what’s causing the problem and how it can be fixed? Am I correct that this isn’t something that teeth bleaching gel won’t help? Thanks – Tana from Bear, DE

Tana,

Photo of teeth whitening trays in a case, for information on DIY teeth whitening from Lowell, MA dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Teeth whitening won’t brighten yellow porcelain crowns

As you realize, your crowns should not be turning yellow. Porcelain is stain-resistant, so if even you were a smoker or coffee drinker, your crowns wouldn’t attract stains. And porcelain is colorfast so the issue cannot be resolved with teeth bleaching—whether it’s take-home or in-office treatment.

What Causes Porcelain Crowns to Turn Yellow?

Three possible causes include:

1. Damage during dental cleaning – If you’ve had a dental cleaning since you received your crowns, the hygienist who cleaned your teeth could have damaged the service with a power cleaning instrument, such as a Prophy Jet. This tool cleans your teeth with blasts of sodium bicarbonate, but this power cleaning damages the glaze on porcelain veneers and crowns. Acidulated fluoride treatment is another possible culprit that chemically etches away the glaze on porcelain.

2. Damaged glaze when crowns were placed – If your dentist adjusted the front surfaces of your crowns while setting them, he or she might have damaged with glaze. Or maybe the laboratory that made the crowns didn’t glaze them properly.

3. Crowns are not porcelain – It sounds outrageous, but sometimes patients think they received porcelain crowns but received composite instead. If a dentist misrepresents treatment to make you believe you have porcelain crowns when you don’t, you have the leverage to get the dentist to pay for the correction. If your dentist falsely advertised your cosmetic work as one treatment—but you received another—you can threaten to notify the state dental board about the issue.

What’s Next?

We recommend that you schedule an appointment with an accredited cosmetic dentist for a second opinion. The dentist will examine your dental crowns, identify what’s causing the discoloration, and explain your options for regaining a white smile.

Michael Szarek, DMD, an accredited cosmetic dentist in Lowell, MA, sponsors this post.

An 8-Step Guide to Whitening Your Teeth Before You Get Dental Crowns

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Are you trying to determine the best way to whiten your teeth before getting dental crowns? Several keys will ensure your crowns match your newly brightened smile.

1. How Much Is Enough?

Although there is no specific limit on how long to whiten your teeth, the longer you use the bleaching gel, the whiter your teeth will get. Keep in mind that sensitivity can become an issue. And the pace of whitening will decrease over time.

2. Questions to Ask Yourself Before Teeth Whitening

  • How satisfied am I with the color of my teeth?
  • How much have I bleached them in the past?
  • Has the bleaching gel I’m using made a difference?

3. How Much Time Should You Whiten Each Day?

In general, you should keep the bleaching trays on your teeth for a minimum of 20-30 minutes. But it can stay on longer. The length of your daily whitening time depends on whether the bleaching gel is causing a lot of sensitivity in your teeth.

4. What Time of Day Is Best?

Photo of a woman's mouch with custom teeth whitening trays being placed on her teeth; from Lowell MA accredited cosmetic dentist Michael Szarek, DMD.

Custom teeth-whitening trays seal bleaching gel against your teeth

You can whiten your teeth during the day or at night. One advantage of nighttime use is that while you’re sleeping your, saliva flow decreases. The bleaching gel will stay in the trays longer. Although daytime use is effective, increased saliva flow can water down the gel. Custom bleaching trays fit snugly and keep saliva out, but if you don’t have them, the bleaching gel will get diluted. You will need to rinse the trays and replenish the gel.

5. What If You Overdo It?

Your teeth will let you know if you’ve whitened them too much. They will become sensitive to heat and cold. But you can manage the sensitivity in one or more of the following ways:

  • Take ibuprofen daily
  • Ask your dentist for fluoride gel
  • Use Sensodyne toothpaste, which is for sensitive teeth.

6. When to Stop Whitening Your Teeth Before Receiving New Dental Crowns

After you’ve completed the whitening sessions, oxygen bubbles from the peroxide gel will continue to disperse and whiten your teeth. It takes about two weeks for the color to stabilize. If you’re receiving crowns on your front teeth, wait the full two weeks before visiting your dentist to match them to your natural teeth.

7. Before You Receive Your Crowns

It’s best to find a skilled cosmetic dentist who will guide you through the whitening process and provide lifelike dental crowns that perfectly match your natural teeth. A dependable cosmetic dentist will never be satisfied with taking a chance on matching the crowns with your whither teeth. Ask yourself, “Is this the right dentist to give me a new smile?”

Although you might think crowns are the best solution for the issues with your teeth, an experienced cosmetic dentist will explain your options. Look for a nearby accredited cosmetic dentist. Accredited cosmetic dentists have demonstrated their skill by completing rigorous exams and submitting successful patient cases to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

8. After You Receive Your Crowns

Over time, your teeth will pick up stains from coffee, tea, wine, smoking, and certain fruits. Every six months, you can whiten your teeth for a few days to restore their brightness. Be careful not to overdo it because they will no longer match your dental crowns.

This post is sponsored by accredited cosmetic dentist Michael Szarek, DMD of Lowell, MA.

3 Reasons to Stop Whitening Your Teeth

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Teeth whitening provides a fast smile makeover. If your teeth are healthy and basically aligned, this treatment might be all you need to revive your smile. But too much of a good thing—including teeth whitening—can do more harm than good. What do we mean?

Teeth Whitening – When Enough Is Enough

1. You’re Trying to Whiten Bonding, Crowns, or Veneers

Bleaching gel penetrates natural teeth, but it won’t remove stains from porcelain restorations or cosmetic bonding. Your natural teeth will get white, but the stains on your bonded or restored teeth won’t budge. There will be a noticeable difference between your natural teeth and those with bonding, veneers, or crowns. Stop whitening and see a cosmetic dentist.

If your bonding, crowns, or veneers are stained, a skilled cosmetic dentist will recommend the appropriate treatment to improve the appearance of the restorations. It might be time to replace them.

2. You Have Cavities or Gum Disease

Photo of teeth whitening trays in a case, for information on DIY teeth whitening from Lowell, MA dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Teeth whitening trays keep gel on your teeth

Bleaching gel will become an irritant if you have cavities or gum disease. As the gel seeps into the affected areas, you can develop an infection in your gums or teeth. Infected gums will need to be treated, and an infected tooth might need root canal treatment.

3. You’re Obsessed with It

Do you think your teeth are never white enough and you keep bleaching them over and over again? Stop. If you’re addicted to whitening your teeth, it can make them brittle and sensitive. They can become transparent or look gray in color. The pearly whites you always wanted can become totally unattractive. And with excess bleaching, the chemicals can burn your gums. Both your teeth and gums will become unsightly.

If you continue to damage your teeth with bleaching gel, it might require cosmetic dentistry and gum treatment to restore your oral health.

What’s Next?

Dentist-supervised whitening yields the best results. If you decide to completely do it yourself, avoid cheap whitening gel. Ensure the contents of the gel are FDA approved. And whiten your teeth as instructed. If your teeth are already damaged by over-bleaching, schedule an appointment for an exam with a cosmetic dentist. Prompt treatment can prevent any issues from getting worse, and it can save you money in the long term.

This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Four Things to Know about Teeth Whitening Parties Before Accepting the Invitation

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I received an online invitation from a friend to a teeth whitening party at a friend’s house. The entire thing is supposed to last about 4 hours. I am not sure about the company that is offering the whitening because I can’t find any information about it online. The invite looks very professional and it says that we will keep the gel on our teeth for 45 minutes to an hour and my teeth will be whiter when I leave. Is this something done that dentists are doing that you know of? It sounds like a dental house call for a group of people. The price is $145 per person, which is cheaper than what my dentist is offering. Is it safe? – Yanika

Yanika – If you received an invitation for a teeth whitening party with no clear information about the sponsor, beware.

Some Facts about Home-Based Teeth Whitening Parties

Photo of teeth whitening trays in a case, for information on DIY teeth whitening from Lowell, MA dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Teeth whitening trays keep gel on your teeth

A teeth whitening party lacks the ability to provide some common-sense precautions to ensure you get safe, predictable results:

  • Examination – A dentist examines your teeth in advance of teeth whitening to determine if you are a candidate for it. For some people, bleaching gel makes stains in teeth more noticeable. Others experience a lot of sensitivity. Only an examination by a dentist can anticipate the results you will get from teeth whitening.
  • Proper sanitation and monitoring – It is difficult to monitor a group of people who are getting their teeth whitened. Do you know who will be doing the whitening, and what will be used to whiten your teeth? Will the environment be sanitary for your oral health?
  • Effective whitening – Professional treatment includes customized bleaching trays to keep the gel in contact with your teeth and away from your gums. There is no way you can receive custom trays at a four-hour teeth whitening party.
  • Follow-up – Dentists schedule follow-up appointments to ensure the results are as expected and your teeth and gums are healthy. At times, more sessions are needed to ensure your teeth are as white as you want them.

If you really want your teeth whitened, we advise asking your dentist or a dentist who offers it. This is the only way you can be reasonably sure that you will receive quality treatment.

 

This post is sponsored by Lowell cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Teeth whitening scam with crazy shipping charges

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Every now and then I search for deals on teeth whitening. I finally found one that sounded good. It was for a month trial of whitening and all I had to do was pay shipping and handling. The cost for shipping was posted on the website as $9.99. I thought that was pretty expensive but compared to free whitening I thought it was nothing. Within the last 2 months, I’ve received 3 charges for shipping and handling, but I still don’t have the whitening kit. My credit card company is investigating it now. I just want to know where I can get legitimate, free teeth whitening trials. Do you have any recommendations? Todd

Todd – We’re sorry to hear about your experience. Unfortunately, it is common. There are some risks that come with getting free teeth whitening online. What should you consider?

Beware of Getting Free Teeth Whitening Online

  • Source – On the website, instead of a business address, there is usually only a toll-free number or a contact form if you need to speak with someone at the company. The website probably doesn’t tell you the source of the whitening. If you call the company, you are unlikely to find out exactly where the whitening kit was made.
  • Contents – How do you know if the syringes really contain bleaching gel? Some consumers have found out that the contents were either ineffective or harmful to their teeth.
  • Results – If what you receive isn’t bleaching gel, either it won’t work, it can harm or discolor your teeth, or it can burn your teeth, gums, or other oral tissue.

If your dentist doesn’t offer free teeth whitening, ask for a payment plan to make it more affordable for you. It’s best to receive quality bleaching gel, along with supervision from your dentist. You’ll get predictable results that will last.

 

This post is sponsored by Lowell cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.