Cosmetic dental bonding has been a fast, effective way to improve the quality of smiles for many years now. It provides a versatile and functional choice for a wide range of dental imperfections. But what if you want to whiten your teeth as well? Will the bonding material change with it?
If you want to learn more about teeth whitening treatments and how they interact with dental restorations like cosmetic dental bonding, continue reading.
How Do Teeth Whitening Treatments Work?
The active ingredient in most quality teeth whitening treatments is hydrogen peroxide. It’s a chemical that many people use (incorrectly) as a disinfectant for cuts and scrapes. While it’s not good for treating wounds, it’s fantastic for lifting stains off of teeth.
The enamel, which is the outer layer of your teeth, is actually full of microscopic holes. These pores allow vitamins and minerals from the food you eat to be absorbed. However, this comes at the cost of also allowing other things to filter in like color from food dye and bacteria.
When you have a whitening treatment, the gel that’s used is activated with a special light that stirs up the molecules in the whitening agent. This prompts the agent to enter these pores, break down stains, and leave your teeth brighter.
Can You Whiten Bonded Teeth?
The bonding material used for the treatment is composite resin. This resin is non-porous, so it doesn’t have any holes in it to absorb pigment or allow the color it already has to leave. This means that when a whitening agent is applied to the material, it has little to no effect.
If you have bonded areas on your teeth, they won’t change along with the rest of your enamel after a whitening treatment. The color of the resin is chosen to match your teeth at the time of the treatment.
What Are My Whitening Options with Bonded Teeth?
While your bonding treatments won’t whiten along with your enamel, the solution is simple and fast. After your teeth whitening treatment, simply have your bonding replaced by the dentist to match your new shade.
It’s advisable to wait a couple of weeks so your color has time to stabilize before having this re-bonding performed. Matching your new bondings to the brightest shade will cause them to be far more noticeable later.
If you’re considering teeth whitening treatments but have bonded teeth, rest assured that a bright white smile is still within your reach. Call your dentist and schedule a teeth whitening consultation. Together, you can find the best approach to achieve the picturesque smile you desire.
About the Author
Dr. Dhavalkumar Rana is a skilled and empathetic dentist with a long track record for successful patient care. Dr. Rana gained his doctorate at the prestigious New York University and has since then completed numerous hours of continuing education in multiple fields of dentistry. To schedule a teeth whitening consultation at True Care Dentistry, call (469) 399-7288 or visit the website to learn more.