Fixing bad dental bonding

Recently, I went to a new dentist to have some old dental work fixed. I’d chipped my right canine and the incisor next to it years ago, and it was restored with bonding. The bonding eventually got yellowish, so I went to this new dentist. Instead of fixing it, he made it look worse than before. Now the canine is a bit too long and looks funny compared to my other teeth, and all the bonding has a flat, opaque look and is too white, like it isn’t real.

I asked him to remove some of the bonding from the canine so it matches the other tooth, but when he was done the bottom was jagged. As far as the artificial-looking coloring, the dentist said that it matches my other teeth. But my other teeth look real!

I felt like I was holding the dentist’s hand, asking him to fix each thing that was wrong with the work. I would have expected him to know what needed to be done to make it look perfect.

At our last appointment, he told me to spend some time getting used to it, and if I still don’t like it, he’ll adjust it some more at our next appointment. I felt like he was just trying to appease me, and he didn’t think that my teeth looked that bad. But they look worse than they did before, and I’m really disappointed. I don’t even want to smile right now.

Should I even go back to this dentist’s office? I can tell he means well, and he’s certainly a nice guy. Maybe I’d be better off trying someone else.

Jeanine from Elmwood

Hi Jeanine,

I think you will be happiest if you find a new dentist, one who is confident doing high-end, aesthetically pleasing bonding work. The dentist you’ve described may be good at the practical aspects of dentistry, but repairing front teeth with bonding is complex artistry. I think you’ve already realized that this new dentist doesn’t have the skill with bonding to give you the beautiful, natural smile you’re looking for. You’ll have to find someone else, a dentist with strong cosmetic dentistry credentials.

Most likely, the new bonding is making your teeth look fake because the new dentist could not mimic the fine details of your natural teeth. When a dentist repairs a tooth with bonding, they can choose from a vast range of materials that vary in color and translucency. In some places, such as near the biting edge, a tooth should be more translucent. Near the gumline, a tooth is more opaque. The hue is not the same in all parts of the tooth but fluctuates ever so slightly. Together, the effect of these nuances is a natural-looking smile, and mimicking them is challenging.

A rare few dentists are so skilled with bonding that they can recreate an entire tooth beautifully. It is easier to repair a chipped tooth with bonding, and an excellent cosmetic dentist will be able to do that for you. Conversely, some dentists who are good at the more mechanical aspects of dentistry struggle when it comes to aesthetics, which may be the case with the new dentist you saw.

One thing you can expect from a cosmetic dentist is they should listen to you. A dentist concerned with the aesthetics of your smile will not be satisfied if you aren’t truly happy with how it looks. They should not try to convince you to get used to dental work you aren’t happy with, which is common with less artistically minded dentists. You need to see an excellent cosmetic dentist who prioritizes patient satisfaction.

This blog brought to you by Delaune Dental, a smile makeover dentist in Metairie, LA.