Composite bonding

Bonding, also known as composite bonding, is a cosmetic dentistry procedure that can be used to repair chipped, cracked, or discolored teeth. Bonding can also be used to fill in gaps between teeth, protect the root of a tooth, or as an alternative to silver amalgam fillings. Bonding takes approximately 30 minutes to one hour in a single visit to our office.

Benefits of Dental Bonding

• Repairs decayed teeth (composite resins are used to fill cavities)
• Repairs small chipped or cracked teeth
• Improves the appearance of discolored teeth or make cosmetic improvements
• Closes minor gaps and spaces between teeth
• Makes teeth look longer
• changes the color and shape of teeth
• Lightens stains
• Corrects mild crooked teeth to a certain degree
• A cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings
• Protects a portion of the tooth's root that has been exposed when gums recede

Procedure for Dental Bonding

• First evaluation and bonding tooth preparation
  • A shade guide to select a composite resin color that closely match the color of your tooth
  • The surface of the tooth will be roughened and a conditioning liquid applied to help the bonding material adhere to the tooth
  • Application of bonding resin
    • The composite resin is then applied, molded and smoothed to the desired shape
    • Light is used to harden the material
    • After the material is hardened, the resin is further trimmed, shaped and polished to match the tooth surface

Recovery Expectations

Since bonding does not result in the removal of any tooth structure, there should be little or no sensitivity.

Care for Dental Bondings

Simply follow good oral hygiene practices.

• Brush at least twice a day. It is good practice to brush after eating and before bedtime.
• Floss at least once to twice a day.
• Rinse with fluoride rinse before bed. Swish the fluoride rinse vigorously in your mouth for at least one minute. Do not swallow any of the rinse and do not eat or drink anything for 30 minutes
• Be careful about chewing toffees, gum, grainy rolls and tough food in this area
• See your dentist for regular professional check-ups and cleanings

Cosmetic bonding is a very technique-sensitive procedure, so choosing an expert cosmetic dentist is important to the structural and the esthetic results.

Cost of Bonding

The cost of bonding varies depending on the number of teeth that are repaired and which procedure is performed.

The term "dental bonding" can refer to a number of related dental techniques. In general, after a tooth's surface has been properly prepared, a white colored dental filling material is bonded onto the tooth. Dental bonding might be utilized as a way to improve the appearance of a cosmetic defect found on the surface of a tooth, to replace tooth structure that has chipped away or broken, or to repair damage caused by tooth decay. At an extreme, this technique can be used to resurface the entire front side of a tooth so to improve its cosmetic appearance.

As a benefit, when compared with the other cosmetic dentistry techniques reviewed on this page dental bonding can be relatively inexpensive and is usually a "completed in one visit" type dental procedure. As a disadvantage, dental bonding material has a tendency to stain as time passes and in general isn't as lasting or durable a treatment as other cosmetic dental procedures. However, and one more point in the plus column, if dental bonding does chip or break it can usually be easily patched or repaired.

Bonding: It is the use of a tooth colored restorative material that is applied on to the teeth. It can then be polished and shaped to look like the rest of the teeth.

Composite veneers cover the facial surface of teeth to change tooth color, position or shape. Addition of composite to tooth structure increases tooth size and therefore, there is often tooth reduction to make room for composite placement. Amount of reduction is determined by position of original tooth in relation to the desired position and color of tooth structure in relation to the thickness of composite materials required to block out color.