The number of teeth to be whitened is generally determined by the number of discolored teeth. In some cases, it could be the full mouth of teeth, or 3 to 5 teeth, or even a single tooth. But how can a single tooth be whitened? And how much?

Can a discolored tooth be whitened in the hospital? It seems that teeth whitening like medical whitening, cold light whitening, etc. is targeted at a full mouth of teeth. It is barely heard that a single tooth can be whitened. In fact, that is workable if the dental condition allows.

Projects to whiten a single tooth in hospital

1. Veneer: veneer is a custom-made thin shell attached to the front surface of the tooth which is slightly ground and shaped right for the veneer. The restored tooth looks aesthetic as the natural teeth. Veneer can be classified into composite veneer and porcelain veneer based on the materials. The former is easier to be stained, aged and broken, so currently the most frequently used is porcelain veneer.

Porcelain veneer is used to whiten a single tooth. It is made to fit in with other teeth in both contour and color, and is bonded to the front side of the tooth. So it sets no limit to the number of teeth to be whitened.

2. Dental Crown: dental crown is different from veneer. A crown, also known as a “cap”, encases the entire tooth which is ground down on each side, while veneer just its front side. It is another alternative to whiten a single tooth. But in some cases, a dental bridge (connected crowns) is needed, depending on the dentist’s evaluation. Currently the more aesthetic restoration is all-ceramic crown that is made of ceramic both inside and outside, transparent and sightly.

How much is it to whiten a single tooth?

The above two solutions, different from cold light whitening, are performed on a single tooth which has been ground down. In terms of the portion to be ground, veneer requires less grinding, so it has the priority over the dental crown.

Both of them are more costly than cold light whitening. The price could be 3000 or 4000 yuan per tooth on the lower side, and 6000 or 7000 to 10,000 yuan on the higher side. The more the quantity, the higher the cost.

One thing to be noted is, it is not suggested to follow suit to whiten your tooth with dental crown or veneer, as the tooth may be ground down in either case. And professional evaluation is needed before the procedure. Discolored teeth caused by smoking or drinking can be fixed by dental cleaning; and cold light whitening works fine for slightly discolored teeth. Therefore, veneer and crown should be the last two options, in consideration of minimizing the harm to the teeth.