Can you whiten composite bonding?

No. Whitening gel lightens natural enamel but doesn’t change the colour of composite bonding. So at Toothi in Edgware we recommend whitening first (Boutique in-practice £250 or home trays £350) and bonding afterwards, matched to your new shade. If existing bonding has stained, it can often be polished. If that doesn’t do it, it can be resurfaced or replaced.

Whitening works by breaking down stain molecules inside the enamel and dentine of a natural tooth. Composite is a resin material with its colour built in, so the gel has nothing to act on.

Whitening may remove a little surface staining from composite, much as a good clean would, but it won’t make it lighter than the shade it was made in. The bigger problem is the teeth around it. If you whiten teeth that already have bonding, the natural teeth get lighter and the bonding stays the same, so it can start to stand out as a darker patch.

If you’re planning both, whiten first, wait for the colour to settle, then bond. That way the composite is matched to the shade you actually want to keep.

Prices are fixed and taken from our fees page. Whitening is priced separately from bonding. More on our teeth whitening page.

Staining

Real patient results

Composite bonding results from our patients

Chips, gaps and worn edges rebuilt in tooth-coloured composite at Toothi in Edgware.

Photos of our own patients, shared with their consent. Individual results vary.

See more bonding before and afters →

Does composite bonding stain?

It can. Composite is a little more porous than enamel and porcelain, so over time it can pick up colour from tea, coffee, red wine, curry and smoking. No composite is stain-proof. Good habits slow it down a lot, though.

• ✓  Rinse with water after dark drinks, or use a straw for iced coffee.
• ✓  Avoid smoking and vaping, which stain composite quickly.
• ✓  Brush with a non-abrasive toothpaste. Harsh “whitening” pastes can dull the polish, and a dull surface stains faster.
• ✓  Keep up hygiene visits so the surface is cleaned and polished.
• ✓  Be careful in the first 48 hours after bonding, when many dentists advise avoiding strongly coloured food and drink.

See our full composite bonding aftercare guide.

Most surface staining comes off with a professional polish. If the colour has gone deeper into the composite, or the bonding no longer matches whitened teeth, the outer layer can be resurfaced or the bonding replaced.

• ✓  Professional polish. Often done alongside a hygiene clean. It restores shine and lifts surface stain.
• ✓  Resurfacing. A thin outer layer is removed and fresh composite added in the right shade.
• ✓  Replacement. If the bonding is old, chipped or a poor match, it can be replaced, and if you want whiter teeth you can whiten first.

At a free consultation we’ll tell you which applies and give you a written quote. Read more in how long composite bonding lasts, composite bonding repair and on our composite bonding page.

Porcelain veneers resist staining better than composite, but they can’t be whitened either, and they involve more preparation of the tooth. At Toothi, composite veneers are £295 per tooth and porcelain E.max veneers are £895 per tooth.

For most people, well-looked-after composite looks very good. If you drink a lot of coffee or red wine and want the colour to stay as stable as possible, porcelain is worth discussing. See composite bonding vs veneers.