resin bonding after laser teeth whitening

[Zaki]

Hi

I have booked myself in for having laser teeth whitening this weekend and I just have a few questions to ask you regarding the procedure.

I have two resin bonding fillings attached to my front teeth which I guess will need to be replaced after the whitening procedure. Could you tell me how long I should wait after my laser teeth whitening before having the resin bonding changed?

Will I be able to have the resin bonding changed before the laser teeth whitening is done? My only worry is that the filling shade will turn out wrong this way. Is there any way of whitening the bonding filling a little bit if this happens?

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Dear Zaki,

Thank you for your post.

Laser teeth whitening is a standard procedure and you will only know how well the results are after having the whitening procedure. Initial results can be very impressive as there is a degree of dehydration of your teeth which makes them look whiter and brighter. Following the laser teeth whitening the whiteness over the next 2 weeks tones down to a more natural appearance. You should then decide if you are happy with the whitening result. If you wish to go whiter you should start the home teeth whitening straight away.
You will do this for a couple of weeks usually and achieve the whitening results you desire.

Following this the new resin bonding fillings or veneers can be done. At this stage you are happy with the whitening result and the cosmetic dentist can take the correct filling shade for a good match. Usually you will need to wait 2 weeks between the completion of teeth whitening and having the resin bonding. This is to ensure an optimal bond strength is achieved and the resin bonding fillings do not come off.

You can have the resin bonding changed before the laser teeth whitening is done, but I do not recommend this. Your teeth may not whiten as much as the new resin bondings and there will be a colour mismatch. There is no way of whitening fillings as they are a man made material.

Please contact the practise and book a free veneers and whitening consultation.