Dr. Hall,
Overall, I love my smile. The only issue I have is discolored fillings in my top front teeth.
They don’t respond to bleach. And when I brush them, they look worse, because you can see the difference in the color between the fillings and the teeth more clearly.
My dentist has talked to me about Lumineers, and I wonder if this would help or if the color of the fillings would show through. What is the best thing for me to do?
– Ana in New Jersey
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Dear Ana,
The answer to your question is actually fairly simple. You have discolored fillings because the dentist that did them didn’t know how to make them match your teeth.
There are bonding materials that are used for fillings that have every tooth shade under the sun, and they can mimic your natural teeth in translucency, in gloss, and in texture. So you just need a dentist who knows how to do this. See our dental bonding page to see how beautiful these fillings can be.
Whatever you do, don’t do Lumineers. They will make your teeth longer, and they will be bulky. And if you’re happy with the shapes of your teeth, there is no point to doing Lumineers – that’s overtreatment that you don’t need. The problem is the fillings, so just get the fillings fixed.
Check our list of New Jersey cosmetic dentists. Any one of them that we list would be able to do your fillings so that your teeth will look beautiful. I screen these dentists carefully and am confident of their artistic abilities.
One caveat – if your fillings are so large that they cover maybe 1/3 or more of the surface of your teeth, it may be best to shave down the fillings a little and put porcelain veneers over them. But not Lumineers and not from this dentist. In the opinion of most expert cosmetic dentists, Lumineers don’t give a beautiful result. The fact that your dentist suggested Lumineers rather than some other brand suggests to me that he is one of the 98% of dentists who aren’t very tuned in to aesthetics and who don’t know how to do a beautiful smile makeover.
Good luck,
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.
I have this same problem but my fillings matched my teeth at first but then they’ve darkened in color while my teeth have stayed the same color. What would cause that??
Carrie,
There are several things that could cause your fillings to discolor. I’ll maybe address that question in detail in another post. Let’s say that in your case it was a matter of the dentist using a type of composite filling material that is more susceptible to stain. If the filling matched your teeth initially, it would simply be a matter of having an expert cosmetic dentist re-surface the filling with a more stain-resistant composite and then polishing it to a stain-resistant shine.
– Dr. Hall
Similar issue. Had bonding done on several teeth due to sensitivity near gum line. None was done due to decay or for cosmetic reasons.
My teeth used to get compliments on their whiteness. It was immediately obvious the wrong color was chosen. Plus they look opaque and rough.
– Riley
Read the rest of Riley’s problem, her questions, and Dr. Hall’s answer here: My bonding is the wrong color.