Composite bonding and whitening

[compositeconundrum]

Hello

Can't find a dentistry topic to post on so will post here in chat

But calling all dentists or anyone who has composite bonding

My bonding is a front tooth and is over 25 years old. It's discoloured and I recently got a quote to remove and replace which was very reasonably priced. However the risks are it may not all come off, or a might need root canal when they see the tooth after all these years or that they can't always tell what's tooth and what's bonding and it will be painstakingly long to do!

It's the colour that bothers me, the actual bonding is fine and strong.

I know the majority of searching tells me that you can't whiten composite but I am desperately trying to find an alternative solution to having it fully replaced

Has anyone managed to find a way to whiten or deep clean bonding?

Thanks in advance!

Any teeth people out there?

You can't whiten composite so it's replace or leave.

There are ways of telling what's composite and what's tooth but , unfortunately, medico legally dentists have to give you all the risks so you can make an informed choice , even if the risks are small.

Have you considered porcelain veneers or crowns? You might get a better result with that, especially if tooth is discoloured and requires root treatment

Both porcelain veneers and crowns are very damaging and require large amounts of tooth to be removed. They need replacing on a regular basis with even more tooth removed each time. Composite bonding is minimally invasive and far healthier for teeth.

Both porcelain veneers and crowns are very damaging and require large amounts of tooth to be removed. They need replacing on a regular basis with even more tooth removed each time. Composite bonding is minimally invasive and far healthier for teeth

Composite bonding is minimally invasive, however it can't normally be removed easily, and with all the best intentions in the world, it is likely that some enamel/dentine will be removed in the process.
This is a tooth that has a "composite bond" ( back when this was originally done they were just called "composite restorations". The term composite bonding is relatively new) that is at least 25 years old. It does sound as if the discolouration may be coming from the tooth rather than the composite. However, who are we to assess without examining the tooth and taking radiographs.

If it is the latter, and root canal/extensive filling required then a full cover crown may last longer. If it was a front tooth, I would match the anterior tooth with a similar restoration on the one next to it.

Porcelain/ceramic/zirconia type work on front teeth is more invasive, but they do last longer, are really durable and have excellent aesthetics. Ceramic type Veneers are less invasive, and rarely require much prep. Composite bonding if placed correctly can last over 5 years, but the bond can discolour, the shade can fade, and you need to consider external factors such as extrinsic staining, and tooth decay. You need your consider these factors with ceramics also, but they don't stain in the same way.

Either way, it's your front tooth, so don't mess with it. Avoid the Instagram dentists, unless they've come highly recommended and have had a lot of experience.

Actually 25 year old composite would very often take on a yellow colour. This is partially because the curing lights then were not as good now and the bulbs tended to degrade quite quickly over time and this was difficult to detect unless you tested hem regularly.

This left partially polymerised composite which, particularly if the diet over the years has included eg turmeric , can discolour easily compared to modern composites and light curing.

whilst some tooth will be removed when removing composite , using UV light and drying/scratching with probe , this will be minimal compared to a crown preparation.

Thank you all who replied

Yes it's a front tooth and I don't want to mess with it if I can help it as it's lasted this long and shows no signs of weakness. It's just the staining

It was a partially cracked tooth so the bonding cover the bottom half of the missing tooth and had been placed well so it doesn't touch the bottom teeth when I close my mouth- which I've been told is the reason it's lasted so long

The problem seems to be the ridge where the bonding meets the tooth. That's where it's collected a stain. The rest of the bonding still looks the same colour as my tooth. It's basically a line of brown/yellow stain where the join is

Actually on second look the rest of the bonding has also discoloured it's just very obvious line of staining where the bond meets the tooth

Sorry to invade on your post but I have a bit of a problem too & have been wondering if composite bonding could solve it.
I have two crowns on my two front teeth, been there years, well over thirty. They were badly applied in the first instance by a dentist who cracked them when trying to put in a filling. Anyway, one broke off & was replaced on a post implant by my much better later dentist. It’s the other one that bothers me as when the original dentist fitted it, it was a bad fit near the gum line so he put a filling there to hide the join. Over the years the filling bit has discoloured to a horrid grey, the crown is still solid. Was wondering if bonding could cover the join & filling.

Unfortunately not. The grey will be a combination of the metal from the crown shining through and possible discolouration of the tooth underneath. You can put composite filling there but it never looks satisfactory . Unfortunately the only good looking result will be to replace the crown.

If composite bonding is what I think it is now and then the dentist has just topped mine up. He/she paints on a toothpaste like substance on the upper front teeth where there's mild erosion and then puts it under uv light (white fillings) -done in a matter of minutes. If it's that I would see if they can just paint a thin layer on over the top of what's there focusing on the join. Make it clear you're not after perfection so don't need the whole thing redone just it to look less stained.

I think this is actually what I'm asking! Thank you. Does anyone know if this could be a solution for me?

No if discolouration is bad because the layer is so thin the discolouration will show through . It really won't make things look any better because by the gum line you cannot build up too thick a layer as it will cause plaque to build up by the gum and elsewhere will make the tooth look too thick.

I had composite bonding on my front tooth 25 years ago and changed it a few years ago because of discolouration. Yes, some of the tooth had to be worn back to replace, but there was no issues at all and whilst over time it has discoloured a bit, I'm happy with it. Ideally, I'd like veneers but I can't see myself doing it.

I think you need to go to a good dentist who knows how to do it properly but that's all