I have porcelain veneers on the front six teeth. A small piece of my front tooth recently cracked and the dentist was able to put some bonding to match. However, after two months, the color is already that dark pasty color and it doesn’t match anymore. Is this normal? I’d rather not replace a whole veneer for a small repair. Should I bond a lighter color so when the color “comes down” a little, it matches the veneer?
– Jim in Michigan

Jim,
There are many different types of composite bonding material for your teeth. Most dentists stock a basic, “all-purpose” composite that really isn’t well suited to doing cosmetic dental bonding on front teeth. While I don’t know for sure without seeing your tooth, it sounds like this is what has happened. These all-purpose materials can tend to stain easily. Other composite bonding materials aren’t very color-stable.

There are bonding materials for your front teeth that take a high polish, are very color-stable, and don’t stain very easily, and that is what you need. I would suggest finding a dentist who is more expert in cosmetic dentistry. A dentist who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry should find your porcelain veneer repair to be fairly routine.

These cosmetic dentistry procedures often require more expertise or more specialized materials than most dentists possess. So go to the expert for this, and then go back to your family dentist for your routine maintenance, if you’re pleased with your dentist.