I went to my dentist about my discolored teeth. He’s suggesting I do composite bonding on them to make them look better. I had a chip repaired with that once and the bonding does not quite match the rest of my tooth. I’m assuming it will match if he puts it over the whole tooth. The only thing I’m worried about is the dental bonding that I have is already stained and I’ve only had it for a few years. Does this mean I have to get it done again every few years? I was looking at porcelain veneers, but they are super expensive. Is there any way to get a cheap smile makeover that looks good?
Sammie
Dear Sammie,
I would not have all of your teeth covered with composite bonding. As you noticed, it doesn’t last very long. Plus, if your dentist could not match the chip repair to the rest of your tooth, there is little chance that your smile makeover will look nice. I have some other suggestions for you instead. First, if the only thing wrong with your teeth is discoloring, then the easiest (and cheapest) treatment is to have teeth whitening done. Of course, you will have to have the dental bonding replaced. I would not have that done by your dentist. If the first repair didn’t match the tooth, the next one is not likely to either.
Directly above is a picture of a chipped tooth repair done correctly. You can see that there is no way to tell the difference between the dental bonding and the rest of the tooth. This is what a correctly done bonding repair would look like. You will want to have the teeth whitening done first. This is important. That way the dental bonding replacement can be made to match your new, shiny white teeth. This is the way I would recommend getting your smile upgraded if the only thing wrong with your teeth is the discoloration.
Complete Smile Makeover
If there are other things about your smile that you want to change, then porcelain veneers are the way to go. They can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth all at the same time. As you mentioned, this is not cheap. If do decide you want this, I would not try to find the cheapest dentist. I would try to find the best dentist. What you’ll want to do is save up for it. When well taken care of, porcelain veneers can last your lifetime.
This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.