Archive for the ‘Tooth Bonding’ Category

Dental bonding to fix white spot lesions after braces

Saturday, August 13th, 2011

I was at the orthodontics a while back and we were talking about white spot lesions. I never brushed well but I started because I heard of the lesions and got really scared. After noticing my hygiene I asked if I had stains and she told me she couldn’t tell because they form around the brackets. Also if I do have stains and I decide to undergo a cosmetic bonding process after my braces to get rid of the white spot lesions will I be covered by my dental insurance.
- Anthony from New York

Anthony,
Yes, I wish orthodontists would put up pictures of the smiles of people who didn’t brush conscientiously when they had braces on, so that there would be no chance that their patients would misunderstand how easy it is to get these lesions on your teeth. You cannot let food sit on those brackets or they will make ugly white or brown spot lesions on your teeth that you’ll see when the braces come off. Brush after any time you eat anything.

And yes, the way to fix those lesions is usually with dental bonding after the braces come off. Unless they are extensive, and in that case you would want porcelain veneers.

Some dentists may think that bleaching will take care of these spots, especially if they are brown. Stay away from any dentist who suggests that – they don’t know what they’re doing.

And yes, dental insurance should help pay for those. The dental bonding or porcelain veneers is done to repair damage to your teeth, so that would be within the scope of most dental insurance contracts. But understand that the dental insurance may well have a minimum amount they will cover. They may only cover the minimum treatment required to repair the damage to your teeth, which will be less than what would be required to get the teeth to look beautiful. And my recommendation would be to go to an expert cosmetic dentist for this work and not to a regular family dentist. A family dentist will not likely stock the necessary materials to make this repair look beautiful.

This blog is sponsored by Colorado Springs cosmetic dentist Dr. Joseph Rota

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My bonding looks ugly.

Monday, July 5th, 2010

I had bonding on the bottom edges of my top two front teeth due to chipping. The middle part of each tooth is now flat and very shiny. It looks indented. Light does not seem to reflect as it should. It appears that the cosmetic dentist polished away the curve of each tooth. I did not realize that any other parts of my teeth would be affected by this procedure. I am afraid to lose any more of my tooth structure. I also worry about when the bonding has to be replaced in the future. There will be nothing left to polish. My teeth were pretty and now they look ugly. I am extremely upset. What can I do? Thank you.
- J from Pennsylvania

J,
I’m not sure I’m following exactly what happened to your teeth, though I think I am. It’s hard sometimes to describe these technical things in lay terms. It sounds like your dentist reduced part of the fronts of your natural teeth in doing your dental bonding.

I am following clearly that the result to you looks ugly. If that is the case, I would hesitate to call your dentist a “cosmetic dentist,” and I think that is the fundamental problem.

98 to 99 % of dentists are technicians who are good at fixing things but aren’t artistic and have little appreciation for a truly beautiful smile. You need an artist dentist to fix this correctly, and it shouldn’t require any significant reductions of healthy tooth structure – it only should require a slight roughening of the tooth next to the area to be bonded. And when this is done by a true artist, you will be in love with the result.

Check with the mynewsmile.com website, and look at their list of recommended Pennsylvania cosmetic dentists. That site is run by an expert cosmetic dentist who personally screens every dentist listed. Dr. Rota is his recommended cosmetic dentist in Colorado Springs, and I feel confident that anyone he recommends would be able to do this work beautifully for you.

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Best option for fixing a gap between my teeth.

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

I have unfortunately been a “vigorous brusher” and have brushed some of the gum tissue away. I am currently in braces and as my teeth get straighter I am seeing gaps between two teeth. These are pretty unsightly. Is there a way to fill in these gaps? If so, what would you suggest?
- Michelle from Texas

Michelle,
If the gap is small, the best way to close that gap may also be the least expensive, and that is with direct dental bonding – composite bonding material is applied to make each tooth appear a little wider, and the gap is gone. And if your gums have receded a little bit, it is not difficult for a skilled and artistic cosmetic dentist to make this look natural.

The gap can also be closed with porcelain veneers. If you are otherwise happy with how your teeth look, I would lean toward the bonding. If the idea of an entirely new smile appeals to you, then go with the porcelain veneers.

Braces are not usually the best choice for a gap. Not only is that a costly and time-consuming alternative, but after the braces come off, the teeth will tend to want to go back to their original positions.

But be careful to go to a skilled and artistic cosmetic dentist. This work needs to be done freehand by the dentist, and your average family dentist simply isn’t up to this.

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Embarrassed by my two porcelain veneers

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Here is my problem. I have accidentally broken my 2 front teeth. First, the dentist did bonding. It matched my other teeth perfectly, but it was difficult to pronounce the sounds ‘s’ and ‘th’. I visited another dentist and she advised me to do porcelain veneers. I agreed. I pronounce all the sounds perfectly well now, but the color of the veneers is whiter than my natural teeth and the shape of the veneers doesn’t match my teeth, and the veneers are much thicker. When I smile people always ask me if I have my front teeth changed. It’s awful—2 years have passed, but I am still very sad about it and always cry. Is there anything I can do to match the front teeth with the others? I have made a mistake to have veneers done. Thank you very much.
- Oksana from Iran

Dear Oksana,
If your porcelain veneers are the wrong color, they can’t be made darker – they would have to be replaced.

They could be shaved back some to get the right shape, but you’d need to have an artistic cosmetic dentist do this. The dentist who put them on would not be a good choice for this, because if she were very artistic, they would have matched your other teeth. It would take more skill to shave them back than it took to put them on in the first place.

The problem you had speaking with the tooth bonding was probably because the bonding wasn’t shaped correctly on the back sides of the teeth. But from what you told me, that first dentist seemed to have an eye for color and the appearance of the work.

Great cosmetic dentistry isn’t taught in dental schools. Most American dentists don’t get that passionate about appearance-related dentistry. Maybe it’s even harder to find a good cosmetic dentist in Iran. I wish I could help you with a recommendation, but the closest I could come would be someone in Dubai who does pretty good work like this.

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