Could you tell me the best way to treat dental enamel hypoplasia? I’ve been dealing with this for a while and would really like to fix it. Someone told me that dental bonding was the solution and another said porcelain veneers. Which do you recommend?
Callie
Dear Callie,
I’m glad you wrote. The reason for the differences in treatment is it would depend on the amount of hypoplasia that you are dealing with. For the benefit of those who do not know the condition you are referring to, enamel hypoplasia is a genetic defect where the enamel of the teeth does not fully develop. In some cases, it is severe enough that the dentin is exposed. Sometimes, rather than a defect, it can be caused by disease during the formation of the teeth.
If you have mild hypoplasia, which usually manifests as white spots. In the case of the picture above on the left, you would just do dental bonding on the front left tooth. Don’t use a dentist who tells you that you would have to bond all the teeth to get it to match. That is a sign of an unskilled cosmetic dentist.
However, for something like the severe hypoplasia pictured on the right, you would need the porcelain veneers. If the inside surfaces of the teeth, then porcelain crowns will be necessary in order to cover all the affected areas of the tooth. Like the dental bonding, you would want someone with a high level of artistic skill and artistry to do the work for you.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.