Everyday care
- Brush twice daily with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste; avoid strongly abrasive or charcoal pastes, which dull the surface.
- Clean between the teeth daily — margins are where staining and decay start.
- Moderate the things that stain: coffee, tea, red wine, turmeric and tobacco. Rinsing with water afterwards helps.
Protecting the edges
- Do not bite nails, pens, or thread, and do not open packaging with your front teeth.
- Be careful with hard foods on bonded edges — ice, crusty bread crusts, olive stones.
- If you clench or grind, wear the night guard you were provided. This is the single most common cause of avoidable chipping.
Reviews and repolishing
Composite loses surface polish over time, which is what makes it look duller and pick up stain more readily. A repolish at roughly annual intervals restores much of the original finish and is a routine part of maintenance rather than a repair.
Chips can usually be repaired by adding material rather than replacing the whole restoration. Report them early — a small repair is simpler and more conservative than a rebuild.
Whitening after bonding
Whitening does not change the shade of composite. If you whiten after bonding has been placed, the natural teeth will lighten and the bonding will not, and the bonding may need replacing to match. Whitening should be completed before bonding is placed.
General guidance from Dr Vikas Prinja, GDC No. 265374. It does not replace the specific instructions given for your own treatment.