Five months ago, my dentist did bonding on my four center front teeth. My center teeth overlapped slightly, and the tooth on either side was poorly shaped. The outside of my teeth look okay, but they are uncomfortable and feel rough where my dentist ground down the teeth. He said he did more grinding on the tooth that overlapped the other one to make it look straight. He also said he was giving my teeth a tint to blend with the others. But the bonding is yellow and stands out from my other teeth. I wish I weren’t so sensitive about how my teeth overlapped because even my close friends told me that it didn’t take away from my smile. I chose dental bonding because I thought it wouldn’t be a drastic change. One of my friends suggested asking my dentist for Zoom whitening, but I thought that Zoom doesn’t whiten bonding. Also, I’m hesitant about letting this dentist do anything else to my teeth. Do I need to find a dentist to remove the bonding and start over? Taylor W. from GA

Taylor,

You’re correct. Zoom Whitening won’t lighten the yellow bonding. It will make your natural teeth even whiter, which will make the yellow bonding more noticeable.

1. Dental Bonding and Cosmetic Dentistry

Dental bonding requires artistic talent and advanced training for a dentist to achieve natural-looking results. And about 98% of family dentists lack the training and artistic eye. Cosmetic dentistry training helps dentists understand which tools and materials are required to achieve the correct shape, color, and polish on your teeth.

Although Dr. Finley would need to see photographs of your teeth to determine what went wrong in the bonding process, it’s fair to say that you won’t get aesthetic results from your dentist. No doubt, your dentist did the best he could according to his ability. But we recommend that you entrust your care to a cosmetic dentist.

2. Get Predictable Results

Look for a few advanced cosmetic dentists in your area. Read about their advanced education or credentials in the art and check out the smile gallery on each dentist’s website. Look for cosmetic bonding photos. If you don’t see any, ask to see them during a consultation with the dentist. You’ll get an attractive smile that doesn’t look or feel uncomfortable.

3. How to Brighten Your Entire Smile

If you think you want your natural teeth whitened with Zoom, complete treatment before your cosmetic dentist replaces the existing dental bonding. Your dentist will ensure the bonding matches your bright smile.

Accredited fellow of cosmetic dentistry, David Finley, DDS, of Monroe, LA, sponsors this post.