Do you have dental imperfections like chipped, cracked, gapped, or discolored teeth? You may worry about their appearance and feeling because the flaws impact your smile. However, you will express surprise with information that dental bonding can alter the appearance and feel of your teeth, making them look new again without denting your wallet or time.
Dental bonding provides an inexpensive technique for minor repairs to your teeth if you aren’t in favor of effective treatment like braces to hide the gaps between your teeth. Consulting the dentist will get you information that if you have minor gaps between your teeth and want a convenient therapy without seeking orthodontic treatments,
dental bonding for gaps is an excellent option helping you to make your teeth appear correctly positioned.
What Is Dental Bonding?
Cosmetic dentistry has many procedures to enhance the appearance and feel of your teeth. For example, dental bonding is a procedure offered by cosmetic dentists which allows them to apply a tooth-colored composite resin to a damaged tooth, sculpt it into shape, harden and polish it. The procedure is required its name because the tooth-colored material bonds to the tooth.
Dental bonding is excellent for minor cosmetic dentistry improvements like fixing problems with broken or chipped teeth or closing little gaps between the teeth. The tooth-colored bonding material also helps the dentist provide fillings or micro-cavities because the material is aesthetically pleasing than silver amalgam.
What Does the Dental Bonding Procedure Involve?
The dental bonding procedure is relatively comfortable if you want to alter the appearance and feel of your teeth. Depending on how many teeth you want to have bonded, the process requires 30 to 60 minutes per tooth and is usually completed by dentists in one visit if you need minor repairs on one tooth. The dental bonding procedure does not require anesthesia unless you also want to have cavities filled. You can continue with your regular activities after your appointment with the
dentist’s office near you.
Before starting the procedure, the dentist selects the color of the composite resin using a shade chart to ensure the color closely matches the shade of your remaining teeth. After choosing the color, the dentist applies an etching solution to the tooth’s surface targeted for the bonding. The process is painless and is unlikely to cause any discomfort. The etching surface helps roughen the tooth’s surface to help the bonding material adhere to it. Finally, the dentist applies the tooth-colored composite resin on the tooth’s surface to shape and sculpt it. Ultraviolet light helps the dentist to harden the material. The final part of the procedure involves policing and buffing the tooth, providing it a smoother finish.
Benefits of Dental Bonding
Dental bonding costs are inexpensive, and prices range from $ 300-$ – $ 600 per tooth. However, the procedure is covered by many dental insurers, especially if you need it for structural reasons like filling cavities. In addition, dental bonding requires merely one visit to the dentist’s office because bonding a tooth requires 30 to 60 minutes and has no downtime. However, if you need extensive work done, you have to schedule a second appointment to cover the aesthetic flaws in your mouth.
Dental anesthesia is generally unnecessary unless you want the bonding to fill a
decayed tooth. Unlike dental crowns or veneers requiring extensive enamel removal, dental bonding requires the most negligible enamel removal before proceeding with the procedure.
Downsides of Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is not stain-resistant as crowns or porcelain veneers and tends to discolor with time. In addition, beverages like coffee, tea, and red wine, besides cigarette smoke, stains the tooth-colored material on the bonded tooth, making it stand apart like a sore thumb in your mouth. You can minimize the risk of discoloration by avoiding the use of substances described during the initial 48 hours after getting your teeth bonded. However, if you are accustomed to smoking, you may benefit from different cosmetic dentistry procedures because the tooth-colored resin is porous and prone to discoloration if exposed to the chemicals in cigarette smoke.
Dental bonding is not as durable as your tooth enamel or alternative dental procedures like veneers or crowns. In addition, the bonding material can chip and requires proper care if you want your bonded teeth to appear and feel like your remaining teeth. After getting the treatment, the dentist performing the dental bonding procedure provides after-care instructions on keeping your bonded teeth in top shape. Following your dentist’s instructions diligently helps prolong the life of your bonded teeth, making you think the investment was worth it.
