Baking soda, scientifically known as sodium bicarbonate, is a common household product celebrated for its versatility. It's used in baking, cleaning, and even personal hygiene. Among its many uses, baking soda is often touted as a natural teeth-whitening agent. However, when it comes to dental crowns, the question arises: can baking soda effectively and safely whiten them?
Understanding Dental Crowns
To address this question, it's crucial to understand what dental crowns are. Dental crowns are caps placed over a tooth. They're used to restore a tooth's shape, size, strength, or improve its appearance. Crowns can be made from various materials, including porcelain, ceramic, resin, or metal.
Baking Soda For Teeth Whitening
Baking soda is known for its mild abrasive properties, which makes it effective in removing surface stains on teeth. These surface stains are typically caused by foods, drinks, or smoking. The abrasive nature of baking soda helps in gently scrubbing away these stains, leading to a brighter and cleaner appearance of the natural teeth.
The Impact On Dental Crowns
However, when it comes to dental crowns, especially those made of porcelain or ceramic, the scenario is different. These materials are not like natural tooth enamel. While they are designed to mimic the look of natural teeth, their chemical composition is different. Porcelain and ceramic crowns are more resistant to staining compared to natural teeth but are also more susceptible to abrasion.
Using baking soda on dental crowns can be a double-edged sword. Its abrasive quality, while effective on natural teeth, can potentially damage the surface of porcelain or ceramic crowns. This damage might not be immediately visible but can lead to gradual erosion of the crown's surface. Once the glaze on a crown is compromised, it becomes more susceptible to staining, which defeats the purpose of using baking soda for whitening.
Moreover, if the crown has a metal component, baking soda might cause discoloration or affect its integrity. For composite resin crowns, baking soda can wear down the surface over time, leading to dullness and increased porosity, which might make them more prone to staining.
Alternative Whitening Options
For those with dental crowns looking to brighten their smile, there are safer alternatives to consider:
- Professional Cleaning and Polishing: Regular visits to the dentist for professional cleaning can help maintain the appearance of dental crowns. Dentists use specialized tools and agents that are safe for crowns.
- Specific Toothpaste: Some toothpastes are designed to be less abrasive and safe for use on crowns. Look for products specifically formulated for artificial teeth.
- Preventive Measures: Avoiding or minimizing consumption of stain-causing foods and beverages (like coffee, tea, and red wine) can help keep crowns looking brighter.
- Touch-up Treatments: If the natural teeth around the crowns are discolored, a dentist in Lake Ridge can perform whitening treatments on these teeth, which can indirectly make the crowns appear brighter by contrast.
Schedule Your Appointment At Lake Ridge Dental Today
If you're concerned about the appearance of your dental crowns in Lake Ridge, don't hesitate to reach out to Dr. Sanae Berrada at Lake Ridge Dental. We're here to help you maintain a bright, beautiful smile that you can be proud of. Whether you need advice on caring for your crowns, or you're considering a replacement, we're here to provide the guidance and treatment you need. Call us today to schedule your appointment.
FAQs
Porcelain and ceramic crowns are more resistant to staining compared to natural teeth but are also more susceptible to abrasion. Using baking soda on dental crowns can be a double-edged sword. Its abrasive quality, while effective on natural teeth, can potentially damage the surface of porcelain or ceramic crowns.
Can baking soda whiten crowns? ›
Natural Remedies for Whitening
Natural remedies like baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mixtures, along with oil pulling, provide alternative approaches to whitening. It's important to note that while these methods may help with natural teeth, their effectiveness on dental crowns and bridges is uncertain.
How can you whiten crowns and bridges? ›
Unlike your natural teeth, dental restorations like bridges can't be whitened or bleached.
How can I make my crowns white again? ›
Since crowns can't be whitened, your smile can only ever be as white as your crown. If possible, whiten your teeth before placing your crown to ensure an ideal shade match. Shade-matching prior to treatment is the best way to get the results you want because you have the most control before your permanent crown.
Is there anything that will whiten crowns? ›
Whitening a tooth crown
Dental crowns cannot be bleached, but the dentist can whiten existing teeth for a close match to the crowns. The porcelain used for making dental crowns can withstand the powerful whitening agents used in the dentist's office.
How long does it take for baking soda to whiten teeth? ›
But on average, it can start to remove surface stains within just 2 days. However, it may take as long as two to three weeks to notice small noticeable results. Severity of Stains. The time it takes to see results with baking soda depends on the severity and nature of the stains.
Can soda damage crowns? ›
Even sugar-free varieties of drinks, such as black coffee and diet soft drinks, are quite acidic. While we have long known the risk these drinks pose to natural teeth, a recent study has confirmed that they are also damaging to the restorative materials that dental crowns and fillings are made of.
Can you whiten crowns with peroxide? ›
The peroxide chemicals cannot penetrate these materials. Even if the whitening material could penetrate through metal or porcelain, the change it would affect in the underlying tooth structure would not be visible through that material anyway. So the process would be futile when it comes to dental crowns.
How do you whiten crowns and implants? ›
Over time your natural teeth can change colors, but the implant will remain the same. To maintain the smile you want, you should whiten your natural teeth before the dentist matches the implant color. Once the implant is created, you cannot change the level of whiteness.
Can zirconium crowns be whitened? ›
Traditional whitening treatments do not work on crowns, veneers, implant crowns or dentures. Whitening solutions only work on intact tooth structure and are not able to pass through any type of porcelain, metals or zirconia [3]. Fortunately, porcelain restorations are highly resistant to stains.
The only way to have your crowns whitened is having them replaced with a whiter shade. If you have a whitening procedure done to your teeth and a visible crown, your crown may appear to be even darker than before.
Why can't crowns be whitened? ›
Most crowns are made from porcelain or composite porcelain. According to the American Dental Association, whitening treatments do not work on these types of materials. You may be able to remove surface stains. However, your crowns will never be brighter than the color they were when your dentist put them in.
What is the best toothpaste to whiten crowns? ›
Arm & Hammer Advance White Toothpaste is a great option for those with crowns who want to keep their teeth looking their best. This toothpaste contains baking soda, which can help remove surface stains and brighten your teeth without damaging your crowns.
Does baking soda whiten crowns? ›
Once the glaze on a crown is compromised, it becomes more susceptible to staining, which defeats the purpose of using baking soda for whitening. Moreover, if the crown has a metal component, baking soda might cause discoloration or affect its integrity.
How to whiten crowns naturally? ›
You should always remember that since crowns cannot be whitened, your smile will only be as white as your crown. Work with your dentist to ensure the shade is ideal before placing your crowns. You will not want a shade that is too white if you know you are unlikely to maintain the shade.
Can you whiten your bridge? ›
What they cannot do, however, is whiten dental bridges or in fact any other type of dental restoration. Whitening agents simply cannot penetrate these materials in the same way they can natural teeth. If your bridge needs to be whitened, you may be out of luck.
Can I use teeth whitener if I have a crown? ›
The whitening agent cannot work on the stains that may build up on the restoration. Therefore, if someone proceeds with teeth bleaching, their natural teeth may look whiter than the dental crowns, causing an uneven appearance.
Why is my crown turning yellow? ›
New dental crowns might turn yellow for several reasons, including they are not ceramic, damage to the surface when adjusting the crowns, and damage to the crowns during a dental cleaning. Damage when adjusting the crowns – If your dentist had to grind your crowns to adjust your bite, they might have damaged the glaze.
Is there a way to whiten a temporary crown? ›
However, if you have a temporary dental crown, these restorations are not permanent, as they are designed to last for only a few weeks until your permanent crown can be placed. Can You Whiten Dental Crowns? Unlike your natural teeth, you cannot whiten dental crowns.
