Dental Bonding Archives - Dr. Allyson Hurley's Blog

Two dark teeth

I’m hoping you can help me. I have two teeth darker than my other teeth. One has bonding on it and the other one a dental crown. How can I get them whiter?

Sarah D. - Idaho Falls

Sarah,

There are two very important things to know about tooth whitening: First, it whitens evenly. That means if your teeth were uneven in color before you whitened them, they will be equally and more noticeably uneven afterward. Secondly, no dental materials, such as crowns, veneers, or bonding can be whitened. What color they are when they are placed is the color they will remain.

You do have options though. If it is only those two teeth you are worried about, and are otherwise satisfied with the color of your teeth, you could just have your dental bonding and your crown re-done. I recommend getting an all porcelain crown. They’ll be much more aesthetically pleasing.

If, however, you’d like all your teeth whitened, I would do the teeth whitening on all your teeth first, then get the new bonding and crown done to match the whiter color.

Good luck to you!

This blog is brought to you by New Jersey Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.

Gap between my teeth

I’ve got braces, but they’re almost done and I’m noticing some gaps between my teeth. Is there a way to “fill in” these gaps?

Catherine J. from Biloxi

Catherine,

There are two ways to fix gaps: dental bonding and porcelain veneers. With dental bonding a composite material is applied directly to your teeth to make them appear wider. This method works best with small gaps. It is done free-hand, so you’ll want to make sure you use an expert cosmetic dentist. Don’t just use your average family dentist who calls himself a cosmetic dentist, or you’ll be dissatisfied with the results. The second method is for larger gaps, or if you are interested in changing more about your smile than just your gaps. Porcelain Veneers can change the color, shape, and even the length of your teeth. Again, as with the bonding, you’ll want to go to an expert cosmetic dentist.

One way to locate one is to do a search on mynewsmile.com. On that site, they recommend cosmetic dentists in each state. A dentist can’t just request to be listed or merely pay to advertise on that site. Dr. Hurley is a recommended dentist for New Jersey. To do that she had to send in a list of her qualifications as well as samples of her work to validate her artistry.

This blog is brought to you by New Jersey Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.

White spot lesions after braces

I had braces and I guess I didn’t brush very well because I have these white lesions. How do you recommend I treat them? I’m disappointed because I was looking forward to having straight teeth, but now I’m just embarrassed.

Amy S.- Bigelow, AR

Amy,

Having braces is challenging. It is recommended that you brush every time you eat, even if it is not a meal. If you don’t, food will stick to the brackets and before you know it you have ugly white or sometimes even brown lesions. Generally, you can fix those with dental bonding. However, if the lesions are extensive bonding won’t be enough and you’ll need to get porcelain veneers.

This blog is brought to you by New Jersey Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.

Two chipped front teeth

Hi. I have two chipped front teeth. I had dental bonding on them, but now they chipped again, even a little further. My dentist is recommending four dental crowns. That seems like such an aggressive treatment to me for teeth that are otherwise healthy. What other options do you recommend, if any? Thanks for taking time out to answer my question.

Haley M. from Wyoming.

Haley,

I’m a little confused why your dentist is recommending four crowns instead of two. You said you only had two chipped teeth. Is there some other pertinent information I don’t have? If not, I’m questioning having this dentist do your treatment.

Assuming I have all the information I will say that I agree with you. Porcelain crowns are just too aggressive a treatment for healthy teeth. However, you’ve got the problem of dental bonding not working for you already. If you got more bonding on, chances are they wouldn’t last that long the second time around either. To me, it sounds like you are a great candidate for porcelain veneers. That will take off a very minimal amount of tooth structure, and they will last.

Let me give you a word of caution though. Make sure you go to an expert cosmetic dentist to have these done. With them being your front teeth, they will be a very visible part of your smile. You’ll want them to be as artistically done as possible.

This blog is brought to you by New Jersey Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.

Is Dental Bonding Reversible?

I recently had some dental bonding done to close a small gap in my front teeth, but I’m not happy with the results. It doesn’t look nearly as natural as I expected. Can I get it reversed?

Debbie- Chicago

Debbie,

Yes, dental bonding can be reversed fairly simply. There is a special sandpaper that most dentists should have on hand, that is used to file the bonding off. The sandpaper will take it right down to the original enamel.

Your dental bonding can be done to look both beautiful and natural, however to get that kind of result you will need to go to an expert cosmetic dentist. Cosmetic dentistry is an unregulated field. Any general dentist can learn how to do a procedure or two and call themselves a cosmetic dentist. You want someone who has real artistry. Dental bonding has to be done free hand, so that takes an even greater skill. I would suggest after getting it sanded, to find one of the mynewsmile.com recommended dentists from Chicago and get the new bonding done by them. These dentists are screened for their credentials and artistry, so you’ll be safe with them.

This blog is sponsored by New Jersey Cosmetic dentist Dr. Hurley.

How easy is it to detect a cracked tooth when reading an x-ray?

How easy is it to see a cracked tooth from an x-ray? After having two full mouth x-rays from two different dental offices within a month apart, neither set of x-rays detected my cracked tooth. Then I went to another dental office for a third opinion, and that dentist referred me to an Endodontist. After the Endo took x-rays, he told me that my tooth was cracked, and that I needed a root canal immediately. How did the other two dental offices miss seeing the cracked tooth in the x-rays? Is it normal for x-rays and/or dentist to miss identifying cracks in teeth?

Peter from Roswell, NM

Peter,

To answer your questions, it is extremely difficult to distinguish a cracked tooth on an x-ray. If the x-ray is not taken at the precise angle of the crack in the tooth, it will not show up. My belief is that the endodontist didn’t see the crack either. He probably saw evidence that suggested the crack in your tooth.

This has happened to me personally. I had two molars that needed root canal treatments due to cracks developing in them. These cracks did not show up in my x-rays either.

Read more about fractured or cracked teeth are repaired here on my website.

Can my dental bonded teeth be whitened?

Dr. Hurley,

My two front teeth have were bonded about 13 years ago, and now they should be replaced. And unfortunately I don’t have the money to do this right now. From what I understand, bleaching doesn’t change color to bonding. But can I at least bleach the bonding back to its original color, and will white strips help with this?
- Anna from Washington State

Anna,

Sorry, but teeth bleaching will not get your dental bonding any whiter.

It will just make it look worse. Reason being, it will whiten your natural teeth even more, and it won’t lighten the bonding.

Polishing can the bonded teeth can help though. If the bonded teeth are discolored from external, and not internal stains, meaning, then it is possible that the discoloration could be polished away by and experienced cosmetic dentist. Otherwise, you would need to replace the bonding.

If money is tight, then you should wait to do this. Don’t bargain shop for cosmetic dentistry, especially when it comes to dental bonding. This procedure requires artistic talent to make your teeth look right. Most dentists don’t even have the materials or talent to do this correctly.