Dental bonding is an easy, painless procedure that takes less time and preparation. It is an ideal solution for areas that experience low bite pressure such as front teeth or need minor repair work done quickly.
By using a shade guide, your dentist will select a composite resin color that closely resembles that of your natural tooth. Once selected, the surface of your teeth will be roughened up in order to help the material adhere more securely to it.
Preparation
Dental bonds are an affordable and non-invasive cosmetic procedure designed to address minor cosmetic concerns such as chipped teeth. Your dentist will first roughen and etch the surface where they intend to apply the bonding material in order to ensure proper adhesion between it and your tooth surface. In some instances, conditioning lotion may also be applied prior to bonding to help smooth out rough edges on teeth surfaces and ensure maximum bond adhesion between resin and enamel surfaces.
Once the tooth is prepared, your dentist will apply bonding material and shape it to create the desired appearance. When satisfied, they'll use a curing light to harden the putty-like resin before trimming and polishing for an ideal natural appearance and healthy bite.
Due to its thin nature, bonded resin must not come into contact with objects like ice cubes, pens or anything that could crack it. Furthermore, should you decide to whiten your teeth after receiving this procedure, your bonded resin may no longer match up perfectly with the rest of your smile.
Application
Bonding is typically an in-and-out procedure that typically does not require anesthesia unless your dentist needs to drill your tooth or work near its nerve. Your dentist will first choose an appropriate shade of putty-like resin that complements the color of your teeth before roughening and conditioning the surface using an acid solution in order for the composite resin to adhere better to it.
Next, your dentist will apply and shape resin to fill in cracks and chips and give your smile an even appearance. They may also use this resin to make minor corrections to length and shape of teeth such as closing gaps between them or reshaping short ones to give them a more straightened appearance.
Dental bonding services may be long-lasting but is susceptible to staining over time and will need periodic touch ups. To extend its lifespan, avoid biting hard objects like ice or writing implements and take good care with your oral hygiene by brushing twice daily, flossing daily and using mouthwash regularly.
Restoration
Bonding appointments typically only last 30-60 minutes and you will be back to your daily activities shortly afterwards. Bonding is less invasive than veneers or crowns because less tooth structure needs to be extracted in order to apply resin.
Your dentist begins by selecting a shade guide-selected composite resin color to complement the hue of your natural teeth, then roughening up its surface before applying a liquid conditioning agent that helps the resin adhere. Next, they apply and mold or shape it around your tooth before hardening it using bright light technology.
Keep in mind that bonded teeth aren't as strong as natural teeth, meaning they may chip or break more easily. Furthermore, they're susceptible to staining. To help avoid staining we advise avoiding habits such as biting nails and chewing on pens/ice.
Maintenance
As opposed to other cosmetic treatments, bonded teeth do not require special maintenance: just brush and floss as normal. You should however, avoid chewing ice, biting fingernails, or using your teeth to tear open things as this may damage the composite resin which forms their bonding material and lead to chipped-off composite resin surfaces.
Your dentist will use a shade guide to select a composite resin color that closely resembles the shade of your natural teeth, then roughen up the surface before applying conditioning liquid that helps the resin adhere. They then use putty-like resin that they mold into place over your tooth with special light technology in order to harden it permanently.
Bonding can be an ideal short-term solution for cosmetic issues or areas with low bite pressure, like your front teeth. However, for extensive damage or restoration purposes such as molar restoration you may require veneers or crowns instead. Furthermore, bonding doesn't last as long as natural teeth so will need sooner replacement due to wear and tear.