Dental Implants & Tooth Whitening

Would dental implants, tooth whitening or both be better at rejuvenating your smile?

Here at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Utah, we get lots of questions from our patients about these treatments. Although oral surgeons don’t typically offer tooth whitening procedures — that’s a treatment you should talk to your dentist about — we are dental implant and tooth restoration specialists.

Should You Get Tooth Whitening Before or After Dental Implants?

Typically, our oral surgeons recommend that patients get tooth whitening before having dental implant surgery.

The reason for this is that we will have your implants custom fabricated to match your natural teeth. Whiten your teeth first, and your new replacement teeth will be the shade you want. If you hold off and do the whitening later, you may not be pleased with the results.

Implants cannot be bleached, which means they may be a noticeably different shade than your natural teeth after whitening.

What if Your Natural Teeth Need Whitening Later On?

Year after year, with proper care, your implants will look the same, because today’s tooth restorations are highly resistant to wear and discoloration. However, the same cannot always be said for your natural teeth, which can become stained and discolored over time due to your diet, health, age and even your genes.

So, what if you want to have them whitened later?

Although it won’t affect the color of your implants, you can (in most cases) whiten your natural teeth without harming your replacement teeth. It’s a good idea to talk to your oral surgeon before proceeding, however, just to make sure you won’t have any issues.

Can Dental Implants Develop Stains Like Natural Teeth?

Just because modern tooth restorations don’t discolor easily doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Implants can, in rare cases, develop stains if you don’t care for them correctly.

Frequent use of abrasive treatments and rinsing with an acidic fluoride mouthwash can break down the protective materials in your implants. If this happens, your new replacement teeth may become vulnerable to staining.

To ensure that your restorations stay looking like new, our office provides full instructions on how to care for your new teeth and we address any questions or concerns you may have.

Our board-certified oral surgeons, Dr. Partridge and Dr. Maxfield, have over 10 years of experience with dental implant surgery as well as a wide range of routine and complex oral surgical procedures to give you the healthy, beautiful smile you’ve always dreamed of. Contact one of our three convenient Northern Utah offices — in Cottonwood Heights, South Jordan and Tooele — today, to schedule a consultation to discuss dental implants.