Straight Talking: Dr Farid Monibi

By: Katharine Griffiths
Created on 09th June 2010

Dr Farid Monibi is a cosmetic dentist and is the specialist prosthodontist at 76 Harley Street. In every issue he discusses the latest treatments and procedures and answers your dental questions

What would you recommend for tetracycline stained teeth that are healthy and straight?

I recommend you try the least invasive treatment first, particularly for young people. The simplest and least harmful way to improve the colour of your teeth is to use a lightening gel. Most dentists will be happy to carry out this treatment for their patients - the gel can be applied either in one session in the treatment room or over a period of a week or so at home.

If the gel does not give the desired improvement, veneers made in natural shade composite material can effectively mask the stained teeth. The composite is simply bonded on to the outside of the teeth without damaging them. This is a totally reversible procedure.

The final option would be to have porcelain veneers. These give the ideal aesthetic result and mask the staining completely, but do involve some preparation of the underlying tooth. For this reason I prefer not to use them for young people.

I have veneers and have noticed slight staining at the edges by the gums. Will some of the whitening treatments out on the market today help?

Discolouration along the edges of the veneers is the most common reason why veneers have to be replaced. The cause of this is usually staining caused by smoking and drinking coffee or red wine. However, it could be more serious and there might be a gap where the cement has dissolved or it might even be a sign of decay.

Whitening treatments can be helpful with the former but it would be mandatory for a dentist to assess the problem in case it is more serious.

Masterclass: The Smile Makeover

My patient is a well-known face in the film and theatre world, and wanted to upgrade his smile. His own teeth were very worn and were neither functionally nor aesthetically acceptable.

His first visits to 76 Harley Street were to increase his fitness levels with my medical colleagues Jack Kriendler and Jim Pate. A very thorough training programme has resulted in weight loss and a dramatic improvement in health and fitness, so the next thing to tackle was his smile.

Dentally, careful planning was necessary. He was keen for his new teeth to replicate his own teeth as they had been in earlier years, keeping the ‘lucky' space between his upper front teeth, and he wanted the shade to be realistic for his age.

A trial version was first made on models of his teeth, and various alterations were made before the final appearance and function was agreed.

The next stage was the removal of all the existing restorations on his back teeth, and the fitting of natural shade provisional acrylic crowns. His front teeth were built up to their original size and shape in composite.

At the successful conclusion of this stage, we were ready to go ahead to the final crowns. A total of 13 upper and 13 lower Zircona ceramic crowns and a bridge were made by my technician. There were two ‘try-ins' before perfection was achieved and the crowns were finally bonded in place.