I think I ruined my dental bonding with a mixture of activated charcoal and baking soda. I finished Invisalign three months ago and wanted to whiten my teeth afterward. So, I began using a mix of baking soda and activated charcoal. I still had some dark spots on my teeth and asked my dentist if she could help.
My dentist hid the stains on four teeth with bonding because she said that teeth whitening would make the spots look worse. Unfortunately, I continued using the activated charcoal and baking soda mixture, not thinking it would affect my bonding. I’ve only had my bonding for two weeks, and now my teeth look yellow. I am embarrassed to tell my dentist about this. Have I ruined my bonding? Thank you. Elisha from TN
Elisha,
Congratulations on completing Invisalign treatment successfully. We understand that you wanted your teeth to look even better by whitening them.
Will Baking Soda or Activated Charcoal Harm Dental Bonding?
Unfortunately, when you use abrasive substances like baking soda or activated charcoal on dental bonding, it can damage the polish. Abrasive cleaners can even wear away your tooth enamel.
Your dentist was correct—bleaching gel whitens your teeth but does not improve dark spots in them. The bleaching makes dark spots more noticeable. Sometimes, dentists fail to give their patients post-treatment instructions for taking care of bonding. We hope you received the instructions even if you forgot that abrasives would damage your bonding.
How to Restore New Dental Bonding that Yellows
Your dentist can freshen your new dental bonding polish and restore the color. Afterward, use nonabrasive toothpaste designed for cosmetic dentistry work. Supersmile® toothpaste is a brand that can help you maintain your bonding and avoid scratching it.
After your dentist freshens the polish, if your teeth remain yellow or yellow again, schedule an appointment with an advanced cosmetic dentist. Although the dentist probably will not need to remove the bonding, they may need to resurface it with quality material and a better polish.
Dr. Rekha Reddy, a Dallas dentist, sponsors this post.
