I have had dental bonding on my front two teeth for over 15 years. I suppose the bonding should be redone, but I just don’t have the money for it at the moment. I think the original cosmetic dentist told me that the bonding itself will not change color if it is bleached. But I was wondering if whitening it will at least return it to the original color. Specifically, I was wondering if white strips would do it?

– Sam in Missouri

Sam,

Dental bonding can not be whitened. It will not return to it’s original color. In fact, there is a good possibility that attempting to bleach it or use white strips on it, will make it look worse than it is now. This is because the bleaching agents will actually whiten the teeth underneath the bonding, but will have no affect on the bonding. So it will give the affect that the bonding is actually darker than it is now.

The best bet is to have it replaced. Although, it sounds like you are looking for cost effective solutions. Polishing may spruce it up a it. This is largely dependent on whether the discoloration and staining is from external staining and not the internal material. If this is indeed the case, an experienced cosmetic dentist may be able to improve the appearance of the bonding for the short term.

Please don’t try teeth whitening strips or any other bleaching agents. You won’t be happy with the result!