I had dental bonding done on my four front teeth to help them look straight. I was happy with them and wanted to take good care of them. I brushed with baking soda from day one. Now they are turning yellow. It’s only been about a week. Could my brushing have caused the damage?
Elaine
Dear Elaine,
Brushing with baking soda is not a great idea because it is quite abrasive. This will scratch the dental bonding and, as a result, make it susceptible to picking up stains.
I do have a niggling fear that your dentist used low quality bonding materials. Not many dentists are skilled with cosmetic dentistry, but they all have composite filling material on hand. Unless they keep in stock the high quality materials that keep their gloss longer, you will be in a constant battle to keep them white and bright.
The reasons I bring this up is because your dentist never went over how to care for the dental bonding with you. Most skilled cosmetic dentists will make sure you not only love the results but know how to care for them.
Because it has barely been a week, I think your dentist should be willing to polish these up and bring back the shine to them. If you are wanting something more permanent, that is more stain resistant than even your own tooth enamel, then I would suggest you get porcelain veneers. While they are more expensive, they will last quite a bit longer. You can expect to replace dental bonding every few years.
As for caring for either one of those procedures, my suggestion is that you brush with Supersmile toothpaste. This was specifically designed with cosmetic dental work in mind and safely removes surface stains on your teeth, including bonding, crowns, veneers, etc. without causing any damage to them.
This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.
