“What Are Your Options if Traditional Teeth Whitening Doesn't Work? - Grace Dental Group ” (2024)

Lots of our patients at Grace Dental Group are interested in teeth whitening services. By brightening your smile, you can increase your personal confidence. Teeth whitening is a popular anti-aging procedure, as well.

But what if you’ve tried teeth whitening treatments before, with mixed or insufficient results? Woo Young Lee, DDS and the team at Grace Dental Group can help you understand why your previous attempts might not have yielded the results you want. We work with you from offices located in San Francisco’s Fillmore District to put together personalized treatment plans that can achieve the brighter smile of your dreams.

Why might your teeth whitening not have worked?

In some cases, your previous attempts at tooth whitening treatments may not have worked. You might have tried an over-the-counter whitening product or even had ineffective professional dental whitening treatments, yet you still noticed areas of discoloration in your smile.

If your teeth and gums aren’t in the best shape or if you’ve had a lot of previous dental work, both issues can affect your results with traditional teeth whitening treatments. You won’t be able to whiten either porcelain crowns or most commonly used dental bonding materials. And, if you’re suffering from gum disease, teeth whitening treatments will be uncomfortable, as well as possibly ineffective.

Make sure to get your regularly scheduled dental exam and cleaning before you start with teeth whitening treatments! If your teeth have too much plaque coating their surfaces, your teeth whitening results may not be all that you’ve wished them to be. You might need to schedule other dental work as well before you’re reading for teeth whitening treatments. Dr. Lee can advise you.

Professional whitening techniques for real results

Once your mouth is clean and in good health, the experienced professionals at Grace Dental Group offer excellent whitening treatments. Professional teeth whitening results tend to be many times better than at-home kits. If you’ve had disappointments before, make sure you’re going to get the results you want by choosing professional teeth whitening.

You may be able to benefit from professionally applied clinical bleaching solutions containing hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Dr. Lee can also use specialized lights to enhance your results, helping topically applied chemicals to penetrate through your porous dental enamel to address stains in the lower layer of your dentin.

Talk with Dr. Lee about your teeth-whitening concerns. If you have crowns, large fillings, or other dental or oral health issues that keep you from being a good candidate for professional bleaching, Dr. Lee can recommend potential alternate cosmetic treatment options. Your overall oral health has to come before the appearance of your smile, but your aesthetic goals for your teeth also matter.

You can schedule a consultation appointment with Dr. Lee at Grace Dental Group of San Francisco, California by giving us a call now or requesting your appointment online.

“What Are Your Options if Traditional Teeth Whitening Doesn't Work? - Grace Dental Group ” (2024)

FAQs

“What Are Your Options if Traditional Teeth Whitening Doesn't Work? - Grace Dental Group ”? ›

Professional whitening techniques for real results

What to do if teeth whitening doesn't work? ›

What Are Your Options When Teeth Whitening Does Not Work? When teeth whitening does not work on stains or spots, an advanced cosmetic dentist can improve them with microabrasion, dental bonding, or porcelain veneers. The treatment a cosmetic dentist recommends depends on the type and severity of the stains or spots.

Is it possible for teeth whitening not to work? ›

Intrinsic Stains

Since teeth whitening treatments primarily target the outer layer of the teeth, they may have limited effectiveness in removing these deeper stains. In such cases, alternative cosmetic dentistry options like dental bonding or veneers may be recommended to improve the appearance of the teeth.

Why won't my teeth whiten no matter what I do? ›

Your Teeth Aren't Clean

You may not see it, but your teeth may have a dirty biofilm or layer of plaque buildup that is preventing the whitening agents from targeting your tooth stains. Consider teeth whitening after your next routine dental cleaning.

What makes you ineligible for teeth whitening? ›

People who have restorations such as fillings, implants, crowns and dental bridges. Children under 16 years of age. Patients with periodontal disease, tooth decay, cavities and exposed roots. People who are allergic to teeth bleaching whitening agents like peroxide.

Why are my teeth not white enough after whitening? ›

Darkening or relapse of the tooth shade is expected after whitening. Relapse of shade occurs almost immediately as the freshly whitened dehydrated tooth rehydrates. Repetitive prolonged exposure of the chemical is the only way to achieve optimal results.

Why hasn't my teeth whitening worked? ›

Some home kits don't contain enough whitening product to be effective. Also, if a dental professional isn't doing the whitening, the mouthguard provided may not fit properly so some of the bleaching gel may leak out onto your gums and into your mouth, causing blistering and sensitivity.

Why do dentists not recommend teeth whitening? ›

Though teeth whitening is a noninvasive dental procedure, at-home kits, even when used by the average healthy patient, can come with risks and side effects. Tooth sensitivity, adverse reactions to dubious ingredients, and a poorly done or inconsistent job of teeth whitening can result.

Are there teeth that Cannot be whitened? ›

You won't be able to whiten either porcelain crowns or most commonly used dental bonding materials. And, if you're suffering from gum disease, teeth whitening treatments will be uncomfortable, as well as possibly ineffective.

Why isn't peroxide whitening my teeth? ›

And here's the thing, hydrogen peroxide in the brown bottle doesn't even whiten your teeth. It might kill off some periodontal bacteria, but it also sets the natural flora in your mouth off kilter. Because hydrogen peroxide is an oxidant, it damages your cells, so why risk it?

Do some teeth not respond to whitening? ›

The fact is, not all teeth respond to whitening. Furthermore, it is important to understand what whitening products you use can really make all the difference. Let's consider certain things that might keep your teeth whitening treatment from working.

How do you whiten yellow stubborn teeth? ›

Use Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Using this mixture removes bacteria and buildup of plaque to get rid of surface stains. Create a hydrogen peroxide and baking soda paste and use it to brush your teeth. After that, use water to rinse the mouth. You can also create a mouthwash using equal amounts of each ingredient.

Why are my teeth still yellow after whitening? ›

Teeth can become temporarily dehydrated after using whitening strips. Your teeth may appear more yellow as a result of this dehydration because the enamel may become dry and lack moisture. Dehydrated enamel sometimes has a transparent appearance that makes the naturally yellowish dentin underneath visible.

What disqualifies you from teeth whitening? ›

Teeth Whitening Disqualifications

Cavities, gum disease, fillings, crowns, and bridges may disqualify you from treatment. Other conditions and circ*mstances that may bar a patient from teeth whitening treatment include: Pregnancy and breast-feeding. Being under the age of 16.

What teeth are not suitable for whitening? ›

If you have gum disease or other dental problems, your dentist may decide that teeth whitening will not be suitable until these have been successfully treated. Whitening will only work on natural teeth; false teeth, crowns, bridges, fillings and veneers will be unresponsive to the process.

Who shouldn't whiten their teeth? ›

There isn't much safety data on teeth whitening for pregnant or breastfeeding women. And these groups are more likely to have inflamed gums and sensitivity after whitening due to hormonal changes during pregnancy. Children under the age of 16 also shouldn't use teeth whiteners without the guidance of a dentist.

Is it possible for teeth to not whiten? ›

To put it in simple words, generally when you have too much staining foods or smoke too much; your teeth may not whiten easily.

Why are my teeth not white after bleaching? ›

So, why do teeth not stay white after whitening? Well, there are a few reasons: What You Eat and Drink: Things like coffee, tea, and stuff with dark colors can stain your teeth. Smoking and Chewing Tobacco: Yeah, these can make your teeth go yellow too.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Trent Wehner

Last Updated:

Views: 6335

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (56 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Trent Wehner

Birthday: 1993-03-14

Address: 872 Kevin Squares, New Codyville, AK 01785-0416

Phone: +18698800304764

Job: Senior Farming Developer

Hobby: Paintball, Calligraphy, Hunting, Flying disc, Lapidary, Rafting, Inline skating

Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.