Is bleaching and veneers the best option for my discoloured tooth?

Q.
I banged and cracked my front tooth when I was about 9. I have had a root filling in it since then. Over the years and especially more recently it has become quite dark and discoloured. I have been told that this is internal. My dentist suggested I had a composite veneer and gave me an idea of what it would look like. I was quite happy with the idea. This dentist then left and my new dentist said that a veneer might not be enough and that I should have internal bleaching and then a veneer. I have read that sometimes bleaching doesn’t work and also composite veneers only last a year or two. I do not have a lot of money but do want to improve the look of this tooth, but I would like advice as to what would be the best value for money long term.
A.
Without seeing you in person it’s difficult to give you accurate advice for your particular case, but in general internal bleaching can improve the tooth colour sufficiently to make the result from the veneer better and more predictable. Masking the discolouration of a darkened front tooth to match exactly the teeth next to it is one of the most difficult things to do in cosmetic dentistry.

A composite veneer may not be sufficient and so sometimes a porcvelain veneer or a crown in a lot of cases, is required to get the best result

Hope that answers your questions sufficiently

Best wishes

Mark

Dr Mark Hughes Harley Street Dental Studio 52 Harley Street, London W1G 9PY Web: www.harleystreetdentalstudio.com Tel: 020 7636 5981 View My Profile Dr Hughes

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