Before You Change Your Smile
Crowns, veneers and caps are matched to the colour of your teeth on the day they’re made. That shade never changes.
Whiten afterwards, and they no longer match.
I’ve watched too many people find that out far too late.
Why can’t crowns and veneers be whitened?
Because they aren’t teeth.
Whitening products work by changing the colour of your natural tooth structure. Crowns, veneers and tooth-coloured restorations are made to a fixed shade and don’t respond to whitening in the same way, so their colour will remain essentially unchanged while your natural teeth become lighter.
Your dentist chooses the shade when the work is made, matched to the teeth you have that day. That colour is then set for the life of it.
What happens if you whiten afterwards?
Your own teeth lift. The work doesn’t.
If a crown was matched to a fairly average shade and you then whiten by ten shades or more, it will stand out — usually right at the front, where every photograph finds it.
Which leaves three options, none of them good.
Live with the mismatch. Have the work replaced, at thousands of dollars and more time in a chair. Or never whiten at all.
That’s why the order matters so much. It’s the difference between having choices and having none.
Which dental work does this affect?
Anything tooth-coloured that shows when you smile.
Veneers. Crowns and caps. Bridges. White composite fillings, including small ones. Implant crowns. Bonding.
Work right at the back matters far less — nobody can see the colour of your back molars. It’s the teeth in your smile line that count.
Not sure whether yours falls into that? Send me a photo on 021 630 907 and I’ll tell you straight away.
So what is the right order?
Get your own teeth to the colour you actually want to keep.
Your shade needs time to settle. Match it too soon and you’re matching to a colour still moving.
matched to your new shade.
This is the part almost nobody considers, and it’s the difference between a match that holds and one that quietly drifts apart over a couple of years. Your own teeth will gradually dull again. The work won’t move at all.
Custom trays let you top up at home whenever you like, for years. And if trays aren’t for you, returning clients are always welcome back for another appointment at $140 when booked within three months, with other returning-client offers available after that — an easy thing to do once in a while.
I’ve already had the work done. Is there anything I can do?
I’m sorry. This is the conversation I have most often, and the one I hate.
Honestly: the work itself can’t be whitened. Nothing changes that.
What we can do is talk properly about where you actually stand. Sometimes the work sits further back than people realise and there’s more room than they feared. Sometimes lifting the surrounding teeth a little — not to the maximum, but to a shade that still sits well alongside it — makes a real difference. And sometimes the honest answer is that whitening isn’t the right move until that work is replaced.
I’ll tell you which of those you are. Even if the answer is “don’t book with me”, you’ll get a straight one.
Send me a photo on 021 630 907 and I’ll have a proper look.
What should you ask your dentist?
Any good dentist will be glad you asked.
- What shade are you matching this to?
- If I whiten later, will this still match?
- Should I whiten before you make this?
- How close will the colour be in a year’s time?
- If I want a whiter smile later, what are my options?
If those are answered vaguely, ask again. It’s your money, and it’s permanent.
Why isn’t this mentioned more often?
I don’t believe it’s deliberate.
Whitening is one service among dozens for a dental practice, and the person planning your crown is concentrating on fit, function, and a good match to the teeth in front of them today.
But the result is the same. People spend thousands on beautiful work and discover far too late that their smile is now fixed at whatever shade it happened to be that week.
It’s the thing in this industry that bothers me most, and it’s why this page exists.
Can I talk to you first?
Please do.
I’d far rather spend ten minutes helping you get the order right than meet you afterwards when there’s nothing left to do. No obligation, no sales pitch. I’m always here to help in any way I can, so please reach out.
If whitening first is the right move, I’ll say so. If it isn’t, I’ll say that too.
I’m Terri. I’ve been whitening teeth for over twenty years — including more than twelve years here in Christchurch — and I’m glad to help whether or not you ever become a client.
Private, dedicated treatment studio located at my home.
Appointments generally Tuesday–Saturday · By appointment only
Need another day? Just ask — I’ll always do my best to accommodate you.