What whitens and what does not

Whitens: natural enamel, including teeth with small fillings on the back or sides that do not show.

Does not change: porcelain crowns, bridges and veneers, tooth-colored composite fillings and bonding, and dentures. These were color-matched to your teeth at the time they were made. If your teeth get lighter, these will look darker by comparison.

How I sequence it

Whiten first. Get your natural teeth to the shade you want and let it stabilize for about two weeks.

Then look at what shows. Many crowns and fillings are on back teeth and no one sees them. Leave those alone. For a crown or filling on a front tooth that now stands out, we talk about replacing or re-bonding it to match the new shade. That is a cosmetic decision, and it is yours.

Never the other way around. A new crown matched to pre-whitening teeth will look yellow the day you finish whitening. If you are planning front-tooth crowns or veneers and also want whiter teeth, whiten first.

Why KöR suits older teeth

Teeth with years of staining and some recession respond better to a slow, low-sensitivity system than to a one-hour light treatment. KöR uses refrigerated gel in custom-sealed trays worn overnight for about two weeks. It reaches deeper staining than strips can, and the sealed trays keep gel off exposed roots, which is where sensitivity usually starts.

If you have exposed roots or cold sensitivity already, tell us. We may treat that first with fluoride, or shorten your nightly wear.

When I say it is not worth it

If most of your visible front teeth are already crowns or veneers, whitening the few natural ones left can create a mismatch rather than fix one. If staining is inside the tooth from an old injury or medication, gel will not lift it. In both cases I will tell you, and we can talk about whether replacing the visible work is the better path, or whether the smile you have is fine as it is.