I'm building my social media following to up my career and working toward getting a distinctive look and have specific goals. I've designed my own wardrobe and ordered colored contact lenses to change my eye color. One other thing I'd like to do is have my teeth match my eyeballs. Is that possible?
Danny D.
Dear Danny,
It sounds like you have big plans. This certainly is one of the most interesting questions I've received. As to whether you could use teeth whitening to match your eyeballs will depend on their color. There is a limit to how far bleaching will go. An additional problem will be getting an exact match. That's hard to achieve with teeth whitening because the end results are tricky to predict. Even after you stop the bleaching, there is about a one to two week period where whitening continues. You could get really close.
There is a better option for you, depending on your budget. If you are talking about an exact match to your eyeballs, the best way to go about that would be to get porcelain veneers placed on your teeth. This is something people use to get a complete smile makeover. You can change more than the color. You can also change the size and shape of your teeth, so if you are going for a distinctive look, this would be an opportunity to design your smile. Just be aware you will need to go to an expert cosmetic dentist for this to work well and it is way more expensive than whitening.
I'd be tempted to try the whitening first to see if you can get results you are happy with and, if not, go for the veneers because of the cost issue. However, you may have a budget where you don't have to wait.
Best of luck.
How white can teeth actually get?
Danny's question is a fun version of one I hear every week: what will get my teeth really white? The honest answer is that whitening has a ceiling. Peroxide lightens the natural color inside your tooth, and each person's teeth stop at a different shade. Most people land several shades lighter than where they started. Nobody ends up paper white from whitening alone, and if you want that, veneers are the tool.
Within that ceiling, the strongest results come from professional take-home trays used consistently. Persistent tray whitening will match or beat a single in-office session, because you can keep going for weeks. Whitening strips and whitening toothpastes lag far behind. Strips are weak and cover only the front teeth. Most whitening toothpastes rely on abrasives that scrub off surface stain but leave microscopic scratches that pick up new stain faster.
Do I need a cosmetic dentist for whitening?
No. Whitening is the most basic cosmetic procedure there is, and any family dentist should do it well. It is completely different from porcelain veneers, which require real artistry and should be done by someone with a lot of cosmetic experience. If a full smile makeover is out of budget right now, whitening with your regular dentist is a sensible first step, and many people find it is all they wanted.
Whitening when your teeth are uneven
Uneven in shape? Whitening works fine, and if the unevenness bothers you, clear aligners can straighten while you whiten, since the aligners double as whitening trays.
Uneven in color, such as white or brown spots on a few teeth? Be careful. Whitening lightens everything evenly, so the spots get lighter along with the rest and can stand out more. Spots are usually treated by gently polishing away the discoloration and repairing the surface with bonding, or in some cases with veneers.
Whitening with fillings, bonding, crowns, or veneers
This is the rule that surprises people most: whitening only works on natural tooth structure. Fillings, bonding, crowns, and veneers do not change color. They do not get damaged either, but they stay the shade they were made.
If you have tooth-colored fillings or bonding on front teeth that currently match, whitening will make the natural teeth lighter and the old work will look darker by comparison. The fix is to whiten first, then replace the visible fillings or bonding to match the new shade.
If you have porcelain veneers on your front teeth and the teeth beside them have yellowed, professional whitening will lighten the natural teeth without harming the veneers. Skip the strips here. They are made to cover exactly the teeth you do not want to treat.
Bonding that has picked up stain can sometimes be polished back to its original color by your dentist. Whitening will not do it. Bonding also has a limited lifespan, so if it is old and stained, replacement is often the right answer.
Whiten before a crown or implant, and then wait
If you are about to get a crown or an implant crown on a front tooth and you have ever thought about whitening, whiten first. Your dentist will match the new crown to the shade of your teeth on the day the crown is made, and porcelain does not change color afterward. Whiten later and the crown will look dark against your brighter teeth, and the only fix is a new crown.
Timing matters too. Whitening keeps working for a while after you stop, and the shade settles over about one to two weeks. Finish whitening, wait one to two weeks, and then have the crown's shade chosen. Some dentists insist on this order, and that is why: it saves you from paying for the same crown twice.
Getting started
If you want to see how light your teeth can go, start with an exam so we can check for cavities and gum problems that should be treated first, and note any dental work that will not change color. Then we can talk about take-home trays or in-office whitening. Read more on our teeth whitening page, or call Ahwatukee at (480) 283-0733 or Chandler at (480) 895-3252.
Disclaimer: This article is general information from Dr. Harveer Kaur and is not a substitute for a dental exam, diagnosis, or treatment. Every mouth is different. If you have a concern about your teeth or gums, call our Ahwatukee office at (480) 283-0733 or our Chandler office at (480) 895-3252 and we will help you sort it out.
Dr. Harveer Kaur, DDS, BDS
Dr. Kaur is the founder of Kokopelli Dentistry, serving patients in Ahwatukee and Chandler, Arizona. She focuses on family and cosmetic dentistry.
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