Kumho-dong Dental Clinic: Achieving Brighter Teeth with Whitening During Anterior Prosthetic Treatment

I want to make my teeth brighter when I get anterior prosthetic treatment.

Hello, I’m Dr. Kim Tae-young, the head director of Bareunyoung Dental Clinic, where we provide natural and bright aesthetic prosthetic treatments.^^

Unlike molars, which are primarily responsible for chewing,

anterior teeth play a crucial role in cutting food and pronunciation. More importantly, they are visible when speaking and smiling, making their aesthetic function highly valued.

Therefore,

during the prosthetic fabrication stage,

we must pay extra attention to

the shape and color.

I often receive these questions during the prosthetic fabrication stage:

I wish my teeth were brighter. Can I make my teeth brighter than they are now?

Yes, it’s possible.

When determining the color of aesthetic prosthetics,

we consider the color of the surrounding teeth

to match them closely or

make them slightly brighter.

Since aesthetic prosthetics alone cannot be made infinitely

white, we select the final color by considering the surrounding teeth.

Because we desire brighter and more beautiful teeth,

some patients wish for prosthetics to be made even brighter.

In such cases, we recommend teeth whitening.

I hope this case study is helpful for those in Kumho-dong Dental Clinic who are curious about whitening or bright anterior prosthetics.

A case where whitening must precede aesthetic prosthetic fabrication due to a shaky anterior tooth.

This is a case where the lower anterior tooth had an unfavorable eruption direction,

leading to tooth mobility and requiring extraction.

The bone width was not suitable for an implant, and we decided it would be a waste to extract the surrounding teeth,

so we recommended bridge treatment.

We waited for over 4 weeks with a temporary tooth to allow the gum to fill the extracted space with volume.

We continuously adjusted the temporary tooth to fill the spaces that appeared as the swollen gum subsided.

The patient wished for the final anterior prosthetic to be bright, and we decided to perform whitening before fabricating the aesthetic prosthetic.

The reason whitening precedes prosthetic work is that

we cannot predict how much brighter the teeth will become with whitening.

Therefore, determining the tooth color after confirming the degree of brightening post-whitening

allows for the fabrication of much more natural

aesthetic prosthetics.

This is a photo after 4 sessions of whitening.

Compared to the initial photo,

you can see that the color of the teeth has become much brighter.

White spots that appear after whitening will fade over time,

so the prosthetic was fabricated based on the overall tooth color.

This is the condition after bonding the final prosthetic.

Since it was immediately after whitening, we anticipated that the tooth color

would return to some extent,

and set the prosthetic color accordingly.

The gum in the extracted area has not yet fully filled in, and

the surrounding teeth appear excessively white immediately after whitening.

This is a photo 10 months after the completion of treatment.

The gum in the extracted area has filled in beautifully.

It has been almost a year since the whitening, so

the color has returned somewhat,

but it is still brighter compared to the initial photo.

Please make them very bright even after whitening.

These are photos of another patient who underwent teeth whitening

while fabricating anterior aesthetic prosthetics.

This patient had wanted white teeth for decades and

underwent whitening during re-prosthetic treatment.

Since they desired prosthetics brighter than their natural teeth,

I remember they were satisfied after the treatment.

If I have the opportunity next time,

I will take the time to review it again!

Unlike veneers, which involve tooth reduction,

whitening allows the tooth color to return over time depending on lifestyle habits.

However, since it is a procedure that does not harm the teeth,

if you receive regular whitening treatments to match the color of your existing prosthetics,

I believe you can maintain brighter teeth

than simply making the prosthetics brighter.

There are two ways to make teeth brighter: prosthetic methods and whitening.

If many existing prosthetics are present,

prosthetic treatment would naturally be more appropriate.

Otherwise,

I believe trying whitening treatment

first is also an option.

We have explored anterior prosthetic treatment accompanied by whitening at Kumho-dong Dental Clinic.

If you are curious about whitening or aesthetic prosthetics,

please visit Bareunyoung Dental Clinic,

and we will provide a more detailed consultation.^^

I hope the case study introduced today was helpful.

▼ Related case studies you might find helpful ▼

We approach all patients who visit us with the heart of treating family. My goal is to create a trustworthy dental clinic where everyone who visits with worries can leave feeling relieved. - Bareunyoung Dental Clinic

This post was written directly by Bareunyoung Dental Clinic for the purpose of providing medical information and hospital advertising (in compliance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Service Act).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can teeth be made brighter during anterior prosthetic treatment?

Yes, it is possible. The color of aesthetic prosthetics can be made similar to or slightly brighter than the surrounding teeth. If you desire even brighter teeth, we recommend whitening. Whitening can adjust the overall tooth tone to be brighter.

When is it best to do whitening: before or after anterior prosthetic treatment?

It is best to perform whitening before fabricating the prosthetic. Since it's impossible to predict how much brighter the teeth will become with whitening, determining the prosthetic color after confirming the brighter tooth color post-whitening allows for the creation of natural aesthetic prosthetics.

Do white spots appear on teeth after whitening?

Yes, white spots may appear immediately after whitening. However, these will naturally fade over time, so the prosthetic is fabricated based on the overall tooth color.

Is the whitening effect permanent?

No, the whitening effect is not permanent. Unlike veneers, whitening allows the tooth color to return over time depending on lifestyle habits. It is recommended to maintain bright teeth through regular whitening treatments.

Which should I try first: anterior prosthetic treatment or whitening?

If many existing prosthetics are present, prosthetic treatment may be more appropriate. However, if that is not the case, considering whitening treatment first to brighten the teeth can be an option.