Looking After Your Bonding

The First Week

You can eat as soon as you leave. The curing light sets each layer hard in seconds, so there's nothing to wait for. Your tongue will find the new edges straight away and they may feel thick for a few days; that sensation fades as you get used to them.

Over the first two days, go light on anything that would mark a white shirt. Curry, beetroot, red wine and black coffee are the usual suspects. If your back teeth don't seem to meet properly, or one front tooth touches first when you close, phone us and don't wait it out. A tooth that's slightly high can ache and chip. Your review a fortnight later is when we fine-tune the bite and give the final polish.

A Daily Routine That Works

• Brush morning and night with a brush that isn't hard-bristled. Electric brushes are fine; hold it against the teeth and let it work, without pressing hard.
• Choose a low-abrasion fluoride toothpaste. Skip whitening and charcoal pastes: their grit scratches the polished composite and makes it dull and stain-prone.
• Clean between your teeth every day with floss or interdental brushes. Ease floss out sideways, not upward, so it doesn't catch the bonded edge.
• Drink water after coffee, tea or wine to rinse the colour off.
• Keep your dental examinations and hygiene visits.

There's no special kit to buy. The people whose bonding looks best at five years are almost always the ones with a steady, ordinary routine.

Stain, and How to Keep It Off

Composite is slightly more porous than porcelain, so it absorbs colour a little more easily, much like natural enamel. Tea, coffee, red wine, cola, curry, turmeric and berries all leave a mark over time. Smoking is the worst: it can yellow bonding noticeably within months.

None of this means giving up your morning coffee. Rinse with water after, use a straw for cold dark drinks, and leave the rest to your hygiene visits. Surface stain lifts with a professional polish, and Airflow uses a fine spray of warm water, air and powder to clear it gently. Stain that has crept into the join between composite and tooth, or that a polish won't move, is usually the sign the bonding needs refreshing.

What Chips Composite

Bonding is tough in normal chewing, but its thin edges don't like sudden force on one point. The common causes of a chip are:

• Biting fingernails, pen lids or pencils
• Crunching ice cubes or boiled sweets
• Using your teeth to tear packets, tape or tags
• Biting straight into a whole apple, a hard crust or a toffee apple with the front teeth

Cut hard foods and eat them with your side teeth. If you play football, rugby, hockey or any contact sport, wear a custom sports guard (£190); it protects the bonding as well as the teeth underneath.

Retainers and Night Guards

Grinding and clenching while asleep wear and chip composite faster than anything you do while awake. A night guard takes that load, and for people who grind, it's the single most useful thing for bonding life. Signs you might grind: a stiff jaw first thing, headaches at the temples, edges that look flattened, or a partner who hears it. Our teeth grinding guide covers the rest.

If your teeth were straightened before the bonding, a retainer matters too. Teeth drift after orthodontics, and bonding shaped for one position looks wrong in another. Invisalign patients with us have Vivera retainers in their package, and wearing them at night protects both. If you need something new, we make custom night guards (£210) and clear Essix retainers (£214 for one arch), and we'll suggest the right one.

Polishing at Your Hygiene Visits

A polish brings the gloss back, and it's how bonding keeps looking new. At the same time Simra Ashraf, our hygienist, checks the edges for early wear so small problems are caught before you notice them. Tell her which teeth are bonded: composite needs a fine polishing paste and soft cups, and a coarse paste meant for enamel can dull it.

Half an hour with the hygienist costs £70, or £100 including Airflow, and our dental plans include them. Most people go every three to six months, depending on their gums.

If a Corner Chips

It happens, and it's usually straightforward. We can normally add fresh composite and blend it in during one short visit without redoing the tooth. Keep any piece, avoid biting on that tooth and get in touch. A photo sent to 07904 504756 on WhatsApp lets us book the right length of appointment.

Please don't file a rough edge with an emery board. If it's catching your lip, a bit of dental or orthodontic wax from a chemist covers it until you're seen. If the tooth hurts, rather than just feeling sharp, call 01698 767220 and we'll find you an appointment.

Signs It's Time for a Refresh

On average bonding lasts three to five years before it needs attention, and with care it often lasts longer. Things to watch for: a surface that stays matt after polishing, stain that won't shift, a brown line at the margin, or an edge that has worn short or chipped more than once. A refresh is usually a re-polish or a new outer layer, not a full rebuild.

If you'd like your teeth whiter as part of it, whiten first. Composite won't lighten, so we brighten the natural teeth, then match the refreshed bonding to the new shade. Our guide to whitening before bonding sets out the timing, and we'll tell you at dental examinations when a refresh is worth it.

Questions

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.