Dentistry by Michelle S. Weddle, DDS FAGD This patient chipped her front tooth. She also wanted to brighten her smile without it looking fake. The first step was to whiten her teeth using Opalescence gel and a custom-made whitening tray. This brightened her smile by whitening only a couple of shades in order to maintain the natural appearance of her teeth. Composite was then matched to her new teeth color and bonded to her existing tooth structure to repair the chip. Composite bonding is used to fix minor defects on a tooth. It does not require grinding of a tooth as with veneers or crowns. Depending on the patient's diet and habits (grinding, using teeth to open bags, biting nails, etc.) bonding can last a few years. The disadvantages of composite bonding is that it usually needs to be replaced earlier compared to porcelain veneers. It also stains or discolors quicker than natural teeth and porcelain.

Patient Photos Depicting:

• Composite Fillings
• Other Procedures

Note: Patients depicted in photos have provided their consent to display their pictures online. Results may vary.