Will the surface of my teeth that were etched ever get their glossy shine back?

Question

My dentist etched the front surface of 4 of my teeth to help them absorb a whitening product. Now those teeth are dull and rough. He said the glossy shine will come back as the teeth rehydrate themselves, but it's been over a month and they at still dull. And rough. Is this true and if not, what should I do?

Yasser A. Elseweifi, DDS · Answer

Etching removes minerals from the tooth surface to aid in bonding. It makes the tooth surface rough. This will not be fixed by rehydration. The tooth needs to be polished to a shine.

David M. Schertzer, DDS · Answer

Etching is applied to enamel to increase the bond strength of the bonding agent which holds the composite or tooth colored filling on the tooth.  Etching creates a dull and opaque surface appearance due to dehydration of the area which returns to a glossy appearance after the tooth rehydrates (couple hours to a day).  I have never used etch on a tooth prior to whitening as this could increase post op sensitivity and I don't see it providing an advantage.  I would return turn to your dentist to discuss this with him.

Will the surface of my teeth that were etched ever get their glossy shine back?

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Will the surface of my teeth that were etched ever get their glossy shine back?

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about Dental Bonding

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.