Why the Color Matching Question Matters
Veneers are permanent, and their color is set in porcelain. Once your veneers are made, we can’t whiten them later. Your natural teeth, though, can still be whitened. This creates a potential problem if you veneer some teeth but not others.
I see this issue regularly at our Hanoi and Da Nang clinics. A patient veneers their front four or six teeth to fix chips or gaps, choosing a bright white shade. Two years later, they realize their back teeth look yellow by comparison. Now they’re stuck whitening around the veneers, which never change color.
The simple solution is whitening your natural teeth before we choose the veneer shade. Then I match the veneers to your whitened teeth, and everything stays coordinated. If you want to whiten again in five years, your natural teeth and veneers brighten together.
When Whitening First Makes Sense
If you’re getting veneers on just your front teeth, six to eight teeth typically, whitening first is smart. This scenario is common for people fixing specific cosmetic issues like chips, minor gaps, or a few discolored teeth.
Here’s my usual recommendation: complete your whitening treatments two to three weeks before we start the veneer process. This gives your teeth time to stabilize at their new shade. Teeth can be slightly sensitive right after whitening, and we want that to settle before I prepare them for veneers.
At Picasso Dental Clinic since 2013, we’ve refined this timing with over 70,000 patients. The two to three week gap lets us see your true whitened color and ensures you’re comfortable when we begin the veneer preparation.
Professional whitening at our clinics takes about 10 days to two weeks for optimal results. Some patients do in office whitening for immediate results, then use take home trays for touch ups before their veneer appointment.
When Whitening Isn’t Necessary
If you’re doing a full smile makeover with veneers covering all visible teeth when you smile, pre whitening doesn’t matter. We’re going to cover everything anyway, so we just choose whatever shade you want for all the veneers.
This applies when we’re placing veneers on 10 to 16 teeth, typically eight uppers and maybe eight lowers. At that point, the back molars that show slightly when you smile won’t be noticeable. Most people don’t see their own molars when they look in the mirror.
I’ve treated patients at our Ho Chi Minh City location who wanted dramatic transformations from severely stained or damaged teeth. We went straight to veneers without whitening because we were covering everything that shows. The final result was stunning and completely uniform.
The Planning Conversation We Need to Have
When you come in for a veneer consultation at any of our locations in Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, or Da Lat, we map out exactly which teeth need veneers and which will stay natural. This determines whether whitening makes sense.
I show patients photos and use shade guides to help visualize the outcome. We also discuss your goals. Some patients want Hollywood bright white. Others prefer a natural ivory shade. Your natural teeth’s current color and your target shade guide our whitening recommendation.
What I tell patients is that we’re planning for 10 to 15 years ahead. Veneers last a long time. We want to make decisions now that you’ll still be happy with years from now. That includes thinking about whether you might want to whiten in the future.
What Happens If You Skip Whitening When You Shouldn’t
I’ve seen patients who got veneers without whitening their natural teeth first, then regretted it. The veneers look beautiful, but the natural teeth next to them or below them appear dull by comparison.
You have two options at that point, neither ideal. You can whiten your natural teeth to try matching the veneers, but natural teeth rarely get as bright as white porcelain veneers. Or you can live with the mismatch, which bothers some people more than others.
The third option is replacing your veneers with a more natural shade to match your unwhitened teeth. That means redoing expensive veneers you just paid for. I’d rather have this conversation before we start, not after.
My Recommendation Process
Here’s what I do with every veneer patient: I assess which teeth need veneers, discuss your desired final shade, and determine if surrounding natural teeth will show when you smile. Then I give you a clear whitening recommendation.
For most partial veneer cases involving six to eight front teeth, I say whiten first. For full smile makeovers covering 10 or more teeth, whitening is optional. For anything in between, we evaluate your specific situation.
The goal is a cohesive, natural looking smile that you’re thrilled with from day one and that stays beautiful for years to come.
If you’d like to discuss your specific case and whether whitening makes sense before veneers, I’m available at our clinics in Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, or Da Lat.
