Composite bonding vs teeth whitening: which do you need?

People often come to us asking for one when they really need the other, or both. The quickest way to decide is to ask a simple question: is it the colour of your teeth that bothers you, or their shape?

What teeth whitening does

Teeth whitening lightens the colour of your natural teeth. You wear custom-made trays with a professional gel at home, and the result builds over two to three weeks.

• It changes: the overall shade of natural teeth
• It doesn’t change: chips, gaps, uneven edges, or the colour of fillings, crowns and veneers
• Price at our practice: Boutique Whitening® £341, Enlighten® £669 (Enlighten guarantees the whitest natural shade, VITA B1)

What composite bonding does

Composite bonding adds tooth-coloured resin to your teeth and sculpts it by hand, usually in one visit.

• It changes: chips, small gaps, short or uneven teeth, and individual teeth that are a different colour from the rest
• It doesn’t change: the colour of the teeth it isn’t applied to
• Price at our practice: from £366

A quick way to decide

• “My teeth are yellower than I’d like, but I’m happy with their shape.” Whitening.
• “I’ve chipped a front tooth” or “I have a small gap.” Bonding.
• “One tooth is darker than the others.” Usually bonding, sometimes a veneer. A single dark tooth often doesn’t respond to whitening the way the others do.
• “My edges are worn and my teeth look dull.” Both, in the right order.

Why the order matters: whiten first, then bond

Composite doesn’t lighten with whitening gel. If you bond first and whiten later, your natural teeth get lighter but the bonding stays the same shade, and it starts to stand out.

So if you’d like both, we whiten first, let the shade settle, then match the composite to your new, brighter colour. That’s exactly what James did: whitening first, then composite veneers on his top front eight teeth. You can see his result on our composite bonding page.

How long each lasts

Whitening can last indefinitely with a simple top-up: wearing your trays one night every other month with Enlighten, for example.

Bonding typically lasts 3 to 7 years before it needs polishing, repairing or refreshing.

Is either one damaging?

Professional whitening, supervised by a dentist, is safe. You may notice some sensitivity during treatment, and we give you products to help with that.

Bonding usually needs little or no tooth to be removed, and it can be taken off again in most cases.

What isn’t safe is whitening from a beauty salon or “whitening bar”: in the UK it’s illegal for anyone other than a dental professional to whiten teeth, and we see the burns and patchy results that come from it.

Not sure which you need?

That’s what a consultation is for. Book a Teeth Whitening Consultation (£54) if it’s mainly colour, or a Smile Consultation (£70) if you’re thinking about bonding or a bigger change. Your dentist will look at your teeth and tell you honestly what would make a difference.

Book online at any time, or call us on 020 8821 2830.