CARE OF BONDED TEETH

You can protect your bonding through a combination of regular dental checkups at recommended intervals and your good dental home care.

1. Tobacco, red wine, coffee, blueberries and tea may stain composite resin

2. If your front teeth have been bonded, avoid biting into foods, especially hard foods such as apples.

3. When flossing remove the floss horizontally rather than vertically to avoid dislodging bonding.  It is preferred that you floss before bedtime.

4. Be careful of what you eat for the first twenty four hours after    placement. Avoid hard, chewy foods 

5. Avoid acids like vinegar, tomatoes, or pineapple and alcohol which can damage the bonding.

6. Use regular Crest, Original Colgate, or Metadent toothpaste they are safe for composite resin.  Avoid toothpaste that advertise "extra whitening" because they are often very abrasive and scratch the restoration.+

7. Avoid contacting this area with metal objects such as paperclips or pens

8. If you grind your teeth, bruxism, you can damage your dental work

9. AVOID chewing on ice, finger nails, hard candy, popcorn kernels or other hard objects may cause chipping or fractures

10. Do NOT use your teeth as a tool to open things! This will break or chip bonding and composites.

11. Don't pick at the new material, it may feel "funny" but you will adjust.  If you pick at it, it can shorten the life of the material.  If you have a "rough" spot, call us to smooth it.

12. Some sensitivity may be experienced at first but show discontinue after a few weeks

13. Place 1.1% neutral sodium fluoride gel around the margins of this area to help prevent decay.

14. Be cautious about using sonic toothbrushes on a bonded area, their vibrations can cause loosening of the bonding.

15. Require professional cleaning three to four times a year to remove stains to keep their natural appearance.

16. Alcohol rinses may affect the longevity of a restoration. Alcohol is a solvent of  resin/resin cements/bonding agents. The result is softening of the composite matrix; which may increase our ability to abrade the resin material, making it rougher and more prone to staining and early breakdown. Recommend  switching to alcohol free rinse and mouth spray alternatives.

17.  The phosphoric, citric, tartaric and/or carbonic acid in soda in now linked to breaking down the tooth enamel around dental sealants and fillings leading to more extensive dental treatment

Life of your bonding is directly related to the level of care you provide.

+Contemporary Esthetics and Restorative Practice, Cosmetic Dentistry and Your Patients Home Care; Dr. Radz; Feb. 2002 pg 86-89.