Can you whiten crowns?

Hi. I have two crowns that are significantly more yellow than my other teeth. I do whiten my teeth but I cannot afford to have my crowns replaced. I understand there is nothing on the market to whiten crowns. Any suggestions?
- Michelle in New York

Michelle,
There are ways to whiten porcelain crowns, but they are more trouble and just as expensive as replacing them. There is a technique that expert cosmetic dentists know how to perform where the porcelain of the crown can be shaved down and new porcelain can be bonded over the top. Kind of like a porcelain veneer over an existing crown. But the fee for this is usually the same as for a new crown, because it is just as much or even more work as doing a new crown. Plus, the lifespan of this work is shorter than a new crown. That means that your best option is just doing the new crown.

Dental insurance plans may have different rules for when they will consider providing benefits for replacing an old crown. Generally the crown has to be five years old, and then your insurance may help you pay for it, depending on the circumstances. If you can’t afford to replace the crowns, this may affect how much you want to whiten your teeth. Zoom whitening and other whitening treatments will whiten your teeth, but not any dental work.

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How to tell if someone is suffering from bulimia

People wonder how to tell if a friend or family member is suffering from bulimia.

It can be hard to tell. They don’t necessarily have to be thin. People suffering with bulimia have been known to be thin, but they may even have normal weight or be overweight. Here are some helpful signs:

• See if they seem to be using extreme measures to control their weight. This can show an obsession with weight loss. Things to look for would be the use of diet pills, or taking pills to try to have a bowel movement.
• Notice if they go to the bathroom immediately after every time they eat. Or if they go in the middle of a meal and then come back and eat more.
• Do they have an obsession with exercise? Do they exercise even when they’re hurt of tired?
• Watch for rough skin on their knuckles. Bulimics may use their fingers to get themselves to throw up, chafing their knuckles in the process.
• Look for broken blood vessels in the eyes.
• Do they comment about being too fat, even when this isn’t true? A bulimic tends to hate his or her body or worry excessively about gaining weight.
• Bulimics will tend to not like herself or himself. Are they moody or sad? Do they isolate themselves?

Dentally, we look for signs of acid erosion on the teeth, particularly on the insides of the upper front teeth, as this is where the acid from vomit tends to act and dissolve away the enamel and dentin of the teeth.

Read more about bulimia and teeth or eating disorders and dentistry on Dr. McKay’s web site. Dr. McKay is a Seattle cosmetic dentist who treats people from all over the country who are recovering from bulimia and other eating disorders. You may be interested to read Aimee’s story of bulimia and dentistry - how Dr. McKay helped her.

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