Can You Whiten Dental Bonding?

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I have dental bonding on my two front teeth because of chips. I liked how they looked at first, but it’s been a few years and they’re starting to pick up stains. Can I whiten them or do they require something else to get them back in shape?

Penny

Dear Penny,

before and after images of dental bonding for chipped teeth

Unfortunately, you won’t like the results if you use teeth whitening in this situation. What will happen is your natural tooth structure will whiten, but the dental bonding will remain the same. This will make them look even worse. You have a couple of options in order to get these back in shape.

The first thing you can do is have the dental bonding re-done. This is the most affordable option. It’s okay to whiten your teeth in that case, if you’re looking to make them brighter because your dentist can match the new bonding to your whiter teeth. As you know, based on your current experience, these last for several years.

You have a second option if you are looking for something which lasts longer than bonding. Porcelain veneers can last for at least a decade. However, they are much more expensive than bonding.

Who Should Do Your Cosmetic Dental Work?

When it comes to having any type of cosmetic dental work done, you don’t just want any dentist to do it. Instead, you need someone who has some expertise both in a technical understanding as well as some artistry. Dental bonding is done free hand, so an artistic eye is imperative.

So how do you know if your dentist has what it takes?

The first thing I would do is ask to see some before and after images of actual cases they’ve done. If you’ve decided to do dental bonding to repair your chips, ask specifically to see those type of cases. if you’ve decided to get porcelain veneers done, then I would ask to see his veneer cases.

If you don’t think they are stunning, don’t use that dentist. Be picky. These are your teeth. You want a perfectionist creating your smile.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Can Lumineers Fix My Lumineers?

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I got Lumineers a few years ago. They were never the color I wanted, but looked a tad stained to me. My dentist said they didn’t make them as white as I wanted. Now I’m seeing people who’ve had smile makeovers with much whiter teeth so I”m thinking the technology has changed. Can I get Lumineers placed over old ones to make them whiter? My dentist said teeth whitening won’t work.

Andrea

Dear Andrea,

single porcelain veneer being held up by a dental tool

Your dentist was mistaken about the first set of Lumineers. Any porcelain veneers (and Lumineers are just one brand of porcelain veneers) can be made as white as you want and that has been true since their inception. This tells me your dentist is an inexperienced cosmetic dentist who was trying to make sure your smile looked “natural”. It doesn’t surprise me he recommended Lumineers. They’re highly marketed to beginner cosmetic dentists as being easy to place.

Years ago, the Lumineers brand tried marketing itself as a way to “fix” old, ugly looking crowns. The reviews were horrible by those who had it done, which may be why they no longer market for that.

It is just as much work and safer for you to just have your porcelain veneers re-done than it is to place new veneers on top of old. Otherwise, you have two bonding procedures. If one fails, they both fail. It’s more secure to bond porcelain to natural tooth structure than it is to bond porcelain to porcelain.

Getting Your Porcelain Veneers

I don’t think you should go to the same dentist to have your porcelain veneers re-done. He doesn’t seem to understand how smile makeovers work. It’s not actually taught in dental school so dentists have to invest time and money for additional training to develop their skills.

I would look up some dentists who advertise as cosmetic dentists in your area. Before doing anything, check out the smile gallery on their website. If they don’t have one, they don’t take cosmetic dentistry very seriously. If you love the results they create, the next step would be to check their reviews.

This helps you know what other patients have felt about his or her practice. Once you are satisfied with both of those things, make sure they have some form of a beautiful smile guarantee. This way you can be certain you’ll get the smile you really want.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

My Porcelain Veneers Make me Look Like Bugs Bunny

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I don’t know what to do. I think I made a mistake begging my dentist to give me porcelain veneers. I could tell he wasn’t keen but I felt desperate to get a smile which didn’t bother me. My teeth are short and stubby. I wanted to make them longer. Now they’re way too long and bulky. I honestly feel like bugs bunny. Can this be fixed?

Samantha

Dear Samantha,

a porcelain veneer being placed

In every profession, including dentistry, there are different strengths and weaknesses with each person. For some dentists, they prefer to focus on the general dentistry aspects of keeping teeth healthy and repairing them when they aren’t. Others invest time in learning cosmetic skills.

However, even among those who like to do cosmetic work, there are different levels of artistry. No two dentists smile makeovers will turn out the same.

It sounds like your dentist prefers the general work, but deferred to your desire for longer teeth. His heart was in the right place but he didn’t have the skill set needed to make it work.

My guess is, because you said they looked bulky on top of too long, your dentist tried to do it with Lumineers. This is a brand of porcelain veneers which tends to be highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place.

Unfortunately, without the proper tooth preparation (which they tell the dentists isn’t necessary) the results tend to be bulky.

Fixing Badly Done Porcelain Veneers

Once dental work is bonded on, it’s permanently on. The only way to “fix” them is to have them redone. Now, you choose the correct solution to your problem. Porcelain veneers will absolutely give you the smile of your dreams. However, to truly get that smile, it will have to be through a different dentist.

Your dentist tried. He likely tried his best. But, if cosmetic dentistry isn’t his thing, his best will never be enough to give your smile the right results. It doesn’t mean you have to switch dentists. You’ll just have to see a different dentist for cosmetic work than your normal dental work.

Look up some cosmetic dentists in your area. Make sure they have post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry. You can do that by looking on their website or just calling their office and asking. After that, check out their smile gallery. Are the smile makeovers they’ve posted on there gorgeous? Would you be excited if that were your smile? If not, look at a different dentist.

The final step will be to check their reviews. What type of experience did other patients who’ve used their office have? Were they satisfied? From there, schedule a consultation. We offer, here at Cheek Dental in Marietta, a complimentary remote consultation.

Best of luck to you.
This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.