How Can We Improve the Bonding My Daughter’s Broken Front Teeth?

Posted by AllSmiles

My daughter is 12 and recently fell and badly broke her two front teeth. Most of each tooth was missing except for a little of the top and sides. Her general dentist rebuilt the teeth with bonding, but the results don’t look natural. The teeth are lumpy, uneven, and too short. My daughter is embarrassed about her smile. At her age, I hate to see her feeling so self-conscious about her teeth. How can we find a cosmetic dentist for children and a case like hers? Are crowns an option if the bonding doesn’t work? – Thanks. Shelby from AL

 

Shelby,

An experienced cosmetic dentist can create a much more natural-looking result. Bonding was a reasonable choice for repairing your daughter’s broken teeth, but replacing such a large amount of missing tooth structure takes more than technical dental skill. The dentist also needs an artistic eye for tooth shape, proportion, texture, and color.

This type of extensive bonding requires the dentist to recreate the appearance of a natural front tooth with composite material. Not every general dentist has extensive experience with that level of cosmetic work.

Will a Cosmetic Dentist Treat a Child Her Age?

If your daughter can cooperate comfortably during the procedure, you can find a cosmetic dentist to redo her dental bonding. At 12 years old, your daughter may be perfectly capable of handling the appointment. Some cosmetic dentists enjoy treating children, while others limit the ages they see, so we would check with the individual office before scheduling.

Some cosmetic dentists are particularly concerned about treating young patients who have trouble sitting still or following instructions during a detailed procedure.

Are Dental Crowns a Good Option for a 12-Year-Old?

We would be very cautious about placing crowns on the front teeth of a 12-year-old. We are glad her dentist initially chose the more conservative approach of bonding rather than removing additional healthy tooth structure for crowns.

Two concerns are especially important at this age. Understanding them helps explain why preserving as much of her natural teeth as possible matters:

• The pulp is relatively large at age 12. Preparing a young front tooth for a crown could come dangerously close to the pulp and potentially damage it. If the pulp died, your daughter could then need root canal treatment and possibly a post before receiving the crown.
• The teeth may erupt more as she grows. Further eruption could eventually expose the crown margin. That line between the crown and natural tooth could become visible and detract from the appearance of her smile.

We recommend consulting one of the expert cosmetic dentists on our list and asking about redoing the bonding. Beautiful cosmetic bonding can look completely natural, even when a significant portion of the tooth needs rebuilding.

We would focus more on the dentist’s cosmetic bonding expertise than on finding a pediatric dentist. Pediatric dentists specialize in caring for children, but they may not routinely perform the highly artistic bonding this case requires.

Chandler, Arizona, dentists Dr. William Walden and Dr. Tyrel Beavers sponsor this post. Read why patients say our dentists provide the best dental care in Chandler.