With the advancement of tooth whitening techniques, its never a better time to speak to your dentist about cosmetic options that can enhance your look without taking a drill to your teeth. Small tweaks can definitely make a big difference to a smile. These techniques include tooth whitening and composite bonding.

Its certainly refreshing moving towards a type of dentistry that is feel good and still harmless to teeth. Traditional veneers and crowns require cutting of the tooth, which can have harmful consequences long term to a tooth. 

" Small tweaks can definitely make a big difference to a smile "

The most common cosmetic concern I hear is unhappiness around the front teeth. This ranges from not liking the colour, stains to chips in the teeth or the general shape. In this article, I’ll be discussing the use of whitening and composite veneers to help make a brighter smile without damaging the teeth.

Patient case

Terrence originally came into the practice unhappy with the discoloured teeth and staining around the cracks on his front teeth (see picture below).

We discussed all of his options – which included whitening, composite veneers or porcelain veneers. Terrence was keen not to damage his teeth, so opted for whitening and no drilling composite veneers.

We took a mould of his upper and lower teeth, followed by a 2 week course of whitening at night time, with Evolution 3 Enlighten. He reported no sensitivity or discomfort with the whitening. He was also happy not needing to avoid certain foods or drinks during these 2 weeks, making the process very straightforward. Terrence then came into the practice for the final stage of whitening.

We were very happy to see a great result in such a short space of time (see picture below). The discolouration around his cracks had certainly faded and were far less prominent.

The next phase of his treatment was masking the fine cracks on his 2 front teeth. I booked him in for an appointment, where I added Renamel composite directly onto his front teeth. I then polished these teeth. That simple!

Terrence was very pleased with the end results (see photo below). And the best aspect for both of us was that it required no injections or drilling.

To maintain this brighter smile is also simple; a top up gel every year. The composite bonding can also be repolished as required and is expected to have a lifetime of 5 to 7 years.

   Dr. Mahrukh Khwaja

Dr. Mahrukh Khwaja is a dentist, positive psychologist, and accredited mindfulness teacher. She founded Mind Ninja, a wellness startup improving mental health and resilience for dental professionals. Named Top 50 in Dentistry by FMC in 2022 and 2021, Dr. Khwaja has made significant contributions to mental health in the field. She authored "Resilience and Well-being for Dental Professionals," published by Wiley-Blackwell. Her work has received numerous accolades.