6745 Sugarloaf Parkway
Suite 200
Duluth, GA 30097

(770) 279-8800

Dental Bonding Does Not Match

Posted on by .

I had some dental bonding done on a chipped tooth. My family dentist did the repair but the color is off and it makes it obvious that it is a repair for a chip. Should I have my dentist redo this or just go straight to someone else? If my dentist should be the one to redo it, should I be charged for the second procedure?

Amanda

Dear Amanda,

before and after a dental bonding repair

It is possible to get a beautiful, natural repair with dental bonding. However, your average family dentist will have a bit of trouble getting it to look that way. They are not generally invested or trained in cosmetic work, and it does require some specialized training as well as ingredients.

My recommendation is to give your dentist another chance. We all start somewhere. Just make sure he understands that if he can’t get the results to blend this time that he will give a refund and you’ll go somewhere else. You should not have to pay for the second appointment because he should have matched the color properly to begin with.

On the off chance that he can’t do it properly the second time, you might want to do some preplanning. You will want a dentist who not only has post-doctoral training but also has an artistic eye. I’d look at their smile gallery to see what type of results they get when they do composite bonding to make sure you will actually get good results this time around.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Will Teeth Whitening Fix My Dental Bonding

Posted on by .

My dental bonding has been picking up stains. They used to be very white. I was hoping to get them back to where they were.

Karl

Dear Karl,

Before and After Dental Bonding

Unfortunately, teeth whitening will only whiten natural tooth structure. It will have no impact on your dental bonding. You didn’t mention how long you have had this bonding or what type of stains you are dealing with. That will have some impact on the best advice to give you. Here is some general help, though.

If your bonding still has the polish on it and you are dealing with surface stains, I am going to recommend Supersmile Toothpaste. Unlike most whitening toothpastes that use abrasives which damage your bonding, Supersmile uses an ingredient Calprox, which will enzymatically remove the stains. It does this by dissolving the protein pellicle on your teeth and the stains attach themselves to the pellicle. Get rid of the pellicle; get rid of the stains.

However, if the polish to your dental bonding is gone, then they have been damaged and the best thing you can do is have them re-done. If you haven’t had these long, then I would go back to your dentist and see if he or she will be willing to fix them. If you have had them a while, it may just be time to replace them. Dental bonding does not last nearly as long as porcelain veneers, so I would expect to replace them every few years.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Dental Bonding Turning Yellow in Under a Week

Posted on by .

I’m worried I did something that could have damaged my new dental bonding because I haven’t even had it a week yet and it is already turning yellow. The only thing I can think that could have possibly done anything is the baking soda I use to brush with. I’ve always brushed with baking soda but maybe there is a chemical reaction with the bonding material? I have no idea. Will getting my teeth whitened fix this or do I have to start over?

Kellie

Dear Kellie,

before and after dental bonding

Dental Bonding used to repair a chipped tooth

I am glad you reached out. Teeth whitening will only whiten natural tooth structure. Because of that, it will not be a help in getting your dental bonding back to its original color. However, there is a polishing your dentist can do that will get the color back up.

He (or she) obviously did not give you any instructions on how to care for these, which bothers me some. Because you’ve only had your dental bonding for under a week and he should have explained to you what type of toothpaste to use, it is my belief he should repair this for you free of charge.

Baking soda is fairly abrasive so it is possible that it damaged the surface and that is why it is picking up stains. I generally recommend patients who have cosmetic work done use Supersmile Toothpaste. It is proven to keep your teeth clean while not damaging either your natural tooth structure or your dental work. It’s fairly easy to order online.

If after your dentist repairs the surface, make certain you are using Supersmile. If this same thing happens, it may be an indication your dentist is using inferior materials and you would need a better cosmetic dentist to restore them. It won’t cost as much as having them redone.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David P. Marion.