Toronto Cosmetic Dentists

Tooth Bonding on Front Teeth Discolors Easily, What Can I Do For This?

I have bonding on 6 of my front teeth. For the most part, I am happy with the look, but the bonding discolors easily. I have tried sticking to light colored beverages and applying petroleum jelly to them before I drink coffee or red wine, but this is so inconvenient and I still get some discoloration. Is there a way to prevent the darkening or to lighten them at home once the discoloration occurs? Do you recommend veneers instead? Thank you.

One of the weaknesses of direct bonding is that it can discolour.  The newer materials are much more stain resistant than older materials.  If your bonding was done many years ago this may be part of the problem.  When resin is cured with a curing light it does not fully polymerize.  This means that there are still uncured portions in the resin which render it more porous so that it can more easily become stained.  Another reason it discolours is the chemistry of the filling materials which allow it to yellow more with time.  Finally, it is important for the dentist to polish the resin very well once the bonding is placed.  This makes it more cleansable and more stain resistant. 

It sounds like you eat a very clean diet and take a lot of care to prevent staining.

Porcelain is much denser material and very stain resistant.

I would recommend that you speak with your dentist about this problem you are having and see if he can offer a solution.

Martin Frankel, DDS

Toronto Cosmetic Dentist

Can I Have my Veneers Removed? I Dislike the Look and Feel.

I just had 6 upper porcelain veneers put on and I hate them. They are very thick and bulky but also much whiter than i had expected. My dentist did not give me proper temporary veneers to see what they would be like, but also failed to show me how they look before bonding them.

I would assume that you chose to do the veneers because you were unhappy with the way that your teeth looked.  Now you aren't happy with the look of your veneers.  This can happen.  Occasionally something goes wrong and the end result isn't what we were expecting or had hoped for. 

With veneers we don't really have the luxury of previewing and wearing the veneers before they are bonded into place.  Considering this fact, and the high success of the treatment, I would say that veneers are a fantastic treatment option.  Talk to your dentist and tell him how they appear to you and how they feel, and how you feel about the outcome.  He should be able to remake them for you to your satisfaction. 

Martin Frankel, DDS

Toronto Cosmetic Dentist

Can I Have my Veneers Removed? I Dislike the Look and Feel.

I just had 6 upper porcelain veneers put on and I hate them. They are very thick and bulky but also much whiter than i had expected. My dentist did not give me proper temporary veneers to see what they would be like, but also failed to show me how they look before bonding them.

I am sorry to hear about your unfortunate circumstance.  Veneers can certainly be removed, but invariably the tooth underneath may have been altered which means that the veneers need to be redone.  You should really go back to your doctor and have a candid discussion about how you feel and see if this can be resolved by redoing the work. 

Best of luck!

Dan Hagi, DDS

Toronto Cosmetic Dentist