Ever since I had my braces, off the jagged edges of some of my teeth have bothered me. Can this be fixed? If so, would it be done by my regular dentist or is it something the orthodontist would do? I like how straight they are now, but would like smooth edges.

Misty

Dear Misty,

Congratulations on getting your braces off and having lovely straight teeth. The repair for the jagged edges on your teeth is called tooth contouring or cosmetic contouring. You would only want this done minimally on just the enamel of your teeth. Often orthodontists will do this for minor issues at the end of your case. However, if yours didn’t, I wonder if has some complicated issues to it. In that case, I would be very careful who you had do the contouring for you. In choosing a cosmetic dentist to do it, I would likely aim for someone who has real expertise in dental cosmetics. The mynewsmile.com website has a “find a cosmetic dentist” link. They prescreen anyone who wishes to be listed and only the best cosmetic dentists will make the cut. You can’t just purchase your way to a listing.

An Example of Dental Contouring

In the case above, there was some tooth contouring done to smooth out the appearance of the teeth. Then, the dentist added some composite bonding to the sides of the teeth to create a beautiful, aesthetic result. You want to find a dentist who can give you this type of results. Whether or not you are in need of the additional work of dental bonding.

If You Add Bonding

I don’t know your goals for your smile. You may be perfectly content with the contouring work and nothing else. That is fine. If you do decide there are spaces you’d like to close with bonding, it will save you money if you think long-term. When you get bonding done, the color made is permanent. If you will be doing teeth whitening anytime in the next few years, do it before you get the bonding done. This way, you can have the bonding color made with the new brighter, white color.

You don’t have to. If you decide to wait and whiten later, just bear in mind that only natural tooth structure will when. The bonding will stay the same original color. The only way to get them to match at that point is to replace the bonding.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.