The short version
- Whitening changes color. Veneers change color and shape.
- If the shape and alignment are fine, whitening is cheaper and nothing is altered.
- Whitening does not lift every stain, and it does not touch crowns or fillings.
- Veneers are permanent. Whitening is not permanent in either direction.
- Cases that are both stained and uneven can go either way. That is what the exam is for.
- Whitening visit
- About 1 hour
- Whitening lasts
- A year or more
- Veneers
- Two visits
- Veneers are
- Permanent
Both treatments improve how teeth look. They are not interchangeable, and one question settles which you need.
Are you unhappy with the color of your teeth, or with the teeth?
If the shape, length and spacing are fine and they have simply darkened, whitening is the right treatment and there is no reason to spend more.
If the teeth are chipped, gapped, uneven or worn, whitening leaves you with whiter versions of the same teeth. That is the expensive mistake, and it is expensive in both directions: paying for veneers you did not need, or paying for whitening that was never going to fix the thing that bothers you.
Teeth whitening
| Treats | Stain held in enamel |
| Appointment | About an hour |
| Result | Visible the same day |
| Lasts | A year or more, with care |
| Alters the tooth | No |
The advantages. It is the least expensive way to change how teeth look, it takes one appointment, and nothing is permanently altered. For someone happy with the shape of their teeth, it is the whole answer.
The limits, stated plainly. Whitening lifts stain from enamel. It does not change a tooth discolored for structural reasons, it does not touch crowns or fillings, and brown or gray discoloration responds less well than yellow. It is also not permanent: coffee and red wine work on whitened enamel exactly as before.
Home kits exist. Professional whitening is safer and produces the better result, particularly for anyone whose teeth are already sensitive, because someone is watching how they respond. What the appointment involves is on the teeth whitening page.
Veneers
| Treats | Color, shape, length, gaps, chips |
| Appointments | Two, about two weeks apart |
| Result | Visible at fitting |
| Lasts | Years, then replacement |
| Alters the tooth | Permanently |
The advantages. Veneers correct nearly any cosmetic problem, including discoloration whitening will not lift. Porcelain does not stain, so for someone who has whitened repeatedly and watched the result fade each time, that fact usually settles it.
The trade. About half a millimeter of enamel is removed permanently, and porcelain is a significant cost. Both sides are in the pros and cons of veneers.
Cases that sit between the two
Plenty do. Teeth that are slightly uneven and also stained can reasonably go either way, and the answer depends on which bothers you more and what you want to spend.
There is also a common sequence worth knowing: whiten first, then veneer only the teeth that still need it. That gets the natural teeth to their final shade before the porcelain is matched to them, and it sometimes reduces how many veneers are needed at all.
Getting it decided
Most people do not settle this alone, and they should not have to. Dr. Back examines the teeth and says which treatment the case calls for, including when the answer is the cheaper one.
Sarasota Smile Design is on Clark Road in Sarasota, an easy drive from Nokomis, Osprey and Venice, open Monday to Thursday.
Call 941-927-5411, or see teeth whitening and porcelain veneers.
