Dental Bonding Staining After Two Weeks

I had dental bonding placed on my teeth two weeks ago. It has already started picking up stains. I do know that dental bonding does not last as long as some procedures, but I was thinking it would be more than two weeks. I went to see my dentist and he said it was because I drink coffee. He never warned me about the coffee thing. Does this mean I can never drink it again?

Jethro

Dear Jethro,

I’m glad you wrote. There are a lot of differences in smile makeover options. While dental bonding will not last as long as something like porcelain veneers, which can last a lifetime, two weeks is way too short for staining to take place, even with bonding. Bear in mind that I have not examined you and that this is just a guess, but I suspect your dentist is just a basic family dentist and does not do a lot of cosmetic work.

When composite bonding is used for things like fillings, there isn’t much aesthetic work that needs to be done with it. As a result, they just keep the basic supplies. A true cosmetic dentist will stock a greater supply of bonding material. Here is what I mean.

The composites used in dental bonding are a mixture of plastic resin with inorganic fillers. The fillers used make a huge difference. Some hybrids are stronger, but the size of their particles make them challenging to polish them to a high shine. Then, there are microfills, which have extremely small particles. While they are not as strong, they can be polished to a high luster, almost like human enamel. That helps with the stain resistance.

For esthetic dental bonding a skilled dentist would use the stronger hybrids on the interior of the restoration, then place the microfills on the surface to get that shine you need. Additionally, they will use a variety of shades and translucencies in order to mimic the changes seen in natural teeth, which are not uniform from top to bottom.

I would go back to your dentist and ask him to redo it according to these type of specifications. You shouldn’t need to stay away from coffee, but be aware that surface stains will be an issue, just like with your natural teeth. Because of that, I recommend you use Supersmile Toothpaste, which will help keep those surface stains off, even if you drink coffee.

This blog is brought to you by Nashville Dentist Dr. David Wickness.