How White Can Your Teeth Be with Porcelain Veneers?

Serving Patients in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Lawton, and Norman, OK

Posted: November 15, 2020

How white do you want them? Seriously, this is the best answer to this question. The only limit to the whiteness you can achieve with porcelain veneers is the theoretical limit achievable by dental porcelain, which approaches absolute white in the visible spectrum for all practical purposes. However, there are a few caveats you need to consider to get the best-looking smile.
The underlying material of your teeth is dentin, and the color of your dentin has a significant impact on the final appearance of your veneered teeth. When placing porcelain veneers on your teeth, the white color you will achieve will be significantly different from the color of the porcelain itself. We can use cements to alter the shade somewhat, but this has a limited effectiveness.

We can overcome this problem by making the veneers more opaque--they will stop light from penetrating through to your dentin underneath. However, this will make your teeth look less natural. Porcelain veneers can look more natural because they are translucent like your natural tooth enamel.

We can also make your porcelain veneers thicker to mask the color underneath, but this can also make your veneers look unnatural and give your teeth an unattractive shape, or result in the removal of too much tooth material to remain structurally sound.

Somewhere between the whitest white and your current tooth shade, there is an intermediate point that will make you smile look attractively white, but also attractively natural and naturally strong. People will notice your smile, not your veneers.

During your consultation we will talk about finding this point, and Dr. Terry Bass will measure the properties of your teeth, including the color and thickness of your enamel and the color of your dentin. He will use his experience to make recommendations for creating a great-looking smile, and you can make a decision about finding the right white for you.

To talk to a dentist in person about porcelain veneers, please contact Terry Bass, DDS today for an appointment in the Edmond, Oklahoma area.