Can you whiten bonded teeth to the original color of the resin used?

Question

My son had part of his front two teeth knocked out a few years ago and repaired by bonding. Last week at work a box fell off the truck at work and hit him in the mouth. One of those teeth is chipped and needs to be repaired again, but they are also more discolored now. Don't really want to match the new bond to the current color. Wondering if you can at least bleach the bonded teeth to the original color of the bonding when they were done? Will surface stains be removed?

Kesa McConnell, DDS · Answer

Unfortunately, dental composite (bonding) cannot whiten. Your son can whiten his teeth and later have new bonding added to match that color, but overtime staining does happen. A more permanent fix would be to consider veneers. Hope this helps!

John F. Calvert, DDS · Answer

I always recommend for my patients to whiten their teeth prior to adding any bonded restorations so the overall color will be lighter and create a more pleasing smile. Old bonding would probably need to be removed depending on where it is. Surface stains would have to be removed prior to doing the restoration. A proper cleaning from the hygienist would be best.

Can you whiten bonded teeth to the original color of the resin used?

Answers (2)