Stained Teeth: Whitening, Resin Bonding, or Both

Two tools for different problems

Whitening uses a bleaching agent to lighten tooth shade across the visible teeth. Bonding uses tooth-coloured resin that is bonded onto the tooth. One changes the colour of what you have; the other covers or adds material.

Choosing between them starts with the type of stain, not the shade you want.

Know the cause of the stain

Extrinsic stains sit on the surface and come from coffee, tea, red wine, tobacco and plaque. Intrinsic stains are inside the tooth, from earlier trauma, a nerve that died, or developmental changes. Surface stains often respond to a cleaning and then whitening. Internal stains may not respond the same way.

This is why a short exam comes first. Scaling removes tartar and surface deposits, which can change how much whitening is needed; insurance-covered scaling follows national insurance rules, and additional scaling is published at ₩50,000.

Tell your dentist about medications, previous injuries to a tooth, and your daily habits. These details often explain a stain faster than the mirror does.

When bonding enters the picture

Bonding is considered for a chipped edge, a small gap, a rough spot or a stain that whitening cannot reach. It can also match a restored tooth to its neighbours. Resin can stain over time, so it is usually shaded after whitening, not before.

For a single dark tooth that has had nerve treatment, whitening after root canal (internal bleaching) is published at ₩165,000 per tooth, VAT included, and works from within the tooth.

Bonding is also less permanent than people expect; edges can chip and the surface can dull. Ask how it is maintained and what a repair involves.