Can You Whiten a Dental Crown?

What You'll Learn

Whitening gels work by penetrating the enamel of natural teeth and breaking down stain molecules. Dental crowns — whether porcelain, ceramic, zirconia, or porcelain-fused-to-metal — do not have enamel. Their surface is a manufactured material that does not absorb or react to bleaching agents. Applying whitening gel to a crown will not lighten it, and in some cases, repeated exposure to whitening products can slightly dull the glaze on older porcelain crowns.

Surface staining on a crown — from coffee, tea, wine, or tobacco — can often be polished away by your dental hygienist during a professional cleaning. This is different from the underlying shade of the crown, which cannot be changed. If your crown looks yellow or discolored even after a professional cleaning, the crown itself may have aged, or it may have been made to match teeth that were not as white as you would like them to be now.

If you want to whiten your teeth and you have a crown in a visible area, the best approach is to whiten your natural teeth first, then have the crown replaced to match your new, brighter shade. This ensures a consistent color across your smile. If you whiten after getting a crown, your natural teeth will become lighter but the crown will stay the same color, creating a mismatch. Discuss your whitening goals with your dentist before any crown work is placed.

If your crown is noticeably darker than your surrounding teeth — whether because you have whitened your natural teeth or because the crown has aged — replacement is the only way to achieve a match. Modern all-ceramic and zirconia crowns offer excellent color matching and a very natural appearance. If your crown is otherwise healthy and well-fitting, your dentist will weigh the cosmetic benefit against the cost and procedure involved in replacement.