Dr. Hall,
Does the Supersmile accelerating kit work on bonded teeth?
How long does it take for Supersmile toothpaste take to remove stains?
– Bernadette from Connecticut
(see Dr. Hall’s answer below)
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Bernadette,
Let’s take your easier second question first—Supersmile toothpaste will remove surface stains on teeth with the first use. It has an ingredient, Calprox, that enzymatically dissolves the protein pellicle layer that covers your teeth, and stains will attach themselves to that pellicle. If the pellicle is removed, the stain is removed. When a hygienist cleans your teeth with a pumice abrasive, she is removing that pellicle, and that is what gives your teeth that super clean feeling.
The first question is a little more involved and requires making a couple of points.
First, you reference the Supersmile Accelerating Kit. This adds a whitening accelerator to the Supersmile toothpaste. It doesn’t improve its stain removal power, but it adds a whitening effect with peroxide to try to actually whiten the teeth. So if your concern is surface stains, I would stick with the less expensive regular Supersmile toothpaste.
Second, there are a number of possible ways dental bonding could stain, if that’s what you’re asking about. If the bonding is polished and the stain is on the surface, yes, Supersmile should remove those stains. On the other hand, if the bonding has lost its polish, that will make it attract stains and Supersmile won’t restore that polish. This is the reason I always recommended Supersmile for all my bonding patients, because many brands of toothpaste are too abrasive for dental bonding and will damage the polish. Supersmile, on the other hand, in spite of its powerful stain-fighting power, has very low abrasivity and will protect the surface of the bonding or porcelain veneers, or any other dental work. So if that is your case, I would have a qualified cosmetic dentist re-polish your bonding and then you can switch to Supersmile toothpaste to maintain that polish.
One more possibility for dental bonding being stained, and that is that it can absorb stain into the actual substance of the bonding. There is no way to remove that stain, and fixing this will require replacing, or at least re-surfacing the bonding with new material.
– Dr. Hall
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.