Reasons To Consider Dental Bonding

Dental bonding is probably the simplest and most cost-effective procedure to correct small cosmetic problems. You are very possibly one of those people who takes very good care of your teeth, i.e. you have adhered to a strict oral hygiene routine, have your teeth professionally cleaned on a regular basis, etc. However, your teeth are still subject to some small issues. For example, one or two of your front teeth may be slightly crooked or have a gap between them. You may chip a tooth, or notice that they are not quite as white as they used to be.  In this case, dental bonding is probably the simplest and most cost-effective of all possible procedures that correct small cosmetic problems. While bonding cannot withstand the pressure that dental veneers and crowns can, and is, therefore, usually done on front teeth, it is one way to make the problem tooth (or teeth) look new again without breaking the bank.

What is Dental Bonding and How Is It Done?
In a nutshell, dental bonding uses a tooth-colored composite material that is applied to the tooth, sculpted into the right shape, then hardened with a curing light. It is called bonding simply because the material 'bonds' to the natural tooth and improves its appearance. Bonding can used to fill in gaps, cosmetically repair small chips, and change the shape and color of the tooth, even making it look longer if necessary. We also use dental bonding to protect a partially exposed root of a tooth caused by receding gums. We also can use bonding as a more cosmetically preferable alternative to silver fillings in a small cavity.

We will first use a shade guide to carefully select the resin that will closely match the shade of your natural teeth. After which a phosphoric acid solution is applied to the surface of the natural tooth. This acid performs the same function as roughing up the surface of any object that is to be painted. This step is closely followed by the application of the adhesive, then the putty-like resin. We will then carefully mold and shape the resin until it looks exactly as we want it to, and then harden it with a curing light. The final steps are to smooth any rough edges that might be present, then polish the resin so that it matches the sheen of your natural teeth.

Advantages and Disadvantages
Dental bonding is completed very quickly, the entire procedure taking no more than between 30 minutes and an hour to complete. This is a considerably shorter time than dental veneers that have to be shipped from a laboratory after being made from an impression. Additionally, crowns and veneers require much more enamel to be removed from the surface of the natural tooth than does dental bonding.

Under normal circumstances, dental bonding will not need to be repaired for several years. However, because the material used is not as strong as that in crowns and veneers, you will need to avoid doing anything with your teeth other than what they were intended to do, i.e. eat. Chewing on ice, biting your fingernails or opening bottles with your teeth can cause the resin to chip.  Especially in the first 48 hours, it is also imperative to avoid eating or drinking anything that will stain the resin. This includes red wine, tea, and coffee. In order to keep your teeth looking as good as they can, you should continue to have them cleaned professionally on a regular basis.

Cosmetic Dentist  >  Teeth Whitening