Insights
Dentistry, explained.
Short answers to the questions patients ask most by Dr Vikas Prinja
Treatment planning
When I would not recommend composite bonding
I would not recommend composite bonding as the first step when there is active decay or gum disease, when tooth position is the real problem, when grinding or wear is unmanaged, when too little tooth structure remains, or when the expected result is something bonding cannot reliably deliver. Each of these is assessed individually.
4 minTreatment planning
Should I straighten my teeth before composite bonding?
Often, yes. If crowding, rotation or uneven spacing is the main reason teeth look irregular, straightening first usually means the bonding can be thinner and more natural, and less healthy enamel is put at risk. Where position is already good, bonding alone may be appropriate. The decision is made at an individual assessment.
4 minOral health
Is sugar-free chewing gum actually good for your teeth?
Yes, within limits. Chewing sugar-free gum for around ten minutes after eating stimulates saliva flow, which buffers acid and helps the enamel surface recover more quickly. It is a useful addition after meals when brushing is not appropriate - it is not a substitute for brushing, and it does not clean between teeth.
3 minOral health
Should you brush before or after breakfast?
Brush before breakfast, or wait about an hour after eating. Food and drink — particularly anything acidic, including fruit juice and coffee — temporarily soften the enamel surface. Brushing during that window scrubs away softened mineral rather than protecting it.
3 minIn the news
Purple toothpaste: colour correction is not whitening
Purple toothpastes use colour theory — a violet pigment counteracts yellow tones — to make teeth look less yellow immediately. That is an optical effect on the surface, and it washes away. It is not whitening: it does not change the intrinsic shade of the tooth, which is what peroxide-based whitening does.
4 minOral health
Nicotine pouches and snus: what they do to gums
Nicotine pouches are held against the gum for long periods, and the tissue at that site takes the load. The changes most often seen are localised gum recession, white or thickened patches of mucosa where the pouch sits, and inflammation. Being tobacco-free does not make a pouch harmless to the gums.
4 minOral health
Vaping and your mouth: what dentists are actually seeing
Vaping is not neutral for the mouth. The most consistent findings in practice are reduced saliva flow, gum inflammation that does not settle with normal cleaning, and staining. The long-term evidence is still developing, but treating vaping as harmless to teeth is not supported by what is seen clinically.
5 minTreatment planning
Composite bonding or veneers: how the decision is actually made
Composite bonding adds tooth-coloured resin directly to the tooth and usually removes little or no enamel; ceramic veneers are laboratory-made and normally require some preparation. The choice is a diagnostic decision driven by how much enamel is present, whether tooth position needs correcting first, how the bite loads the teeth, and how the result will be maintained — not a matter of preference.
6 minTopics: Clinical guide · Treatment planning · Oral health · In the news
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