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Does Tooth Bonding Work If Your Teeth Aren't Completely White?

Your smile is often a your most distinctive facial feature. Having a great smile can be a source of confidence and self esteem. If you are not happy with the shade of your teeth, ask your dentist about improving your smile through dental bonding. The bonding procedure involves shaping the teeth, and applying a tooth--colored material which bonds to your natural teeth. Dental bonding can fix chipped, broken, misaligned and discolored teeth with impressive results.

  1. Bonding Materials

    • You can have your teeth bonded with either composite resin, or porcelain. Composite resin is a hard plastic material used to bond teeth that have most of the tooth structure intact. Composite resin can stain over time. However, this material is easily replaced. This material is usually used to bond teeth that are basically intact. Most people return to the dentist after ten years to replace their composite bonding because the color has stained. Chipped teeth, or teeth that have little tooth structure, should be bonded with porcelain. Porcelain is more expensive, but it does not stain. The biggest advantage of porcelain bonding is that porcelain can last indefinitely.

    Tooth Color

    • Have your dentist help you choose the shade that will be used to bond your teeth. Keep in mind that once your teeth are bonded, the material used to bond them cannot be whitened. You can still whiten any remaining natural teeth. Your dentist can match the bonding to your teeth if you are happy with their current shade. If you desire a whiter smile, have your teeth professionally bleached before you choose the shade of your bonding material.

    Caring for Your Bonded Smile

    • If you have your teeth bonded with porcelain, your dentist will recommend the same oral hygiene routine a person with natural teeth should have. If you opt for the composite resin material, you will need to be extra diligent concerning oral hygiene as it pertains to tooth color. Avoid substances known to stain bonded and natural teeth such as teas, colas, coffee and nicotine. If your natural teeth become discolored, the teeth restored by bonding will become very obvious. If this happens, you can have your teeth bleached to match the color of your bonded teeth.

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