How to Alter Your Smile Using Dental Bonding?
Do you have chipped, broken, or discolored teeth preventing you from smiling? Dental bonding can alter your smile to make you confident by allowing you to flash your pearly whites. And you aware of what dental bonding treatment is? If not, please continue reading this article, providing you with a relatively inexpensive technique to make minor dental repairs without spending too much time in the dentist’s office.
Are you unaware of what dental bonding is? Let us inform you this is a cosmetic dentistry procedure wherein the dentist at the dental bonding office applies a tooth-colored resin to a damaged tooth and sculpts it into shape besides hardening and polishing the tooth. Dental bonding is ideal for minor cosmetic dentistry work, like fixing a broken or chipped tooth and closing small gaps between teeth. The composite resin material also helps fill small cavities because it is aesthetically pleasing than silver fillings.
Why May You Need Dental Bonding?
The tooth bonding procedure can fix defects and imperfections in your tooth. Many people use tooth bonding to repair cracked, discolored, and decayed teeth. The process also helps close minor gaps between your teeth. For example, if you have a tooth shorter than the rest and you desire all your teeth to be of the same length, dental bonding can help you achieve your goal.
Tooth bonding is a quick procedure requiring only 30-60 minutes per tooth without downtime. If you don’t need anesthesia to fill cavities, you can continue with your routine soon after the treatment. Although we mention the time required is under an hour per tooth for bonding, some appointments may need more time if the tooth has extensive damages.
What Does Dental Bonding Involve?
When you visit the dental bonding office to have your teeth bonded, the dentist evaluates your teeth to determine the damages affecting them. Dental bonding may not be ideal for your situation if you have severe tooth decay or injury. In such cases, dentists recommend veneers or crowns as alternatives to dental bonding. However, if you qualify for the treatment, the dentist starts using a shade chart to select the composite resin color plus matching the color of your natural teeth.
The dentist first applies gentle phosphoric acid to the surface of the targeted tooth to etch and roughen its surface. The etching helps the bonding material adhere to the tooth, and the process is entirely painless. After about 15 seconds of applying the etching solution, the dentist uses the composite resin material to your tooth’s surface to shape and sculpt it. Ultraviolet light helps the dentist to harden the composite resin allowing them to shape the tooth if required even after the resin hardens.
Benefits and Downsides of Dental Bonding
Dental bonding isn’t as expensive as dental veneers or crowns but undoubtedly has its downsides and benefits.
- The benefits of dental bonding include the fewer dollars required to have a tooth bonded costing merely $300-$600 per tooth. However, as dental bonding is an elective procedure, dental insurance plans do not offer coverage for the treatment unless you need to bond for structural reasons or to fill cavities.
- Dental bonding is not time-consuming, and the dentist completes the treatment in 30-60 minutes per tooth.
- Dental bonding doesn’t require anesthesia unless you want a decayed tooth filled. In addition, the bonding procedure requires no enamel removal, as it is familiar with veneers and crowns.
Downsides of Dental Bonding
The bonding material is prone to staining, unlike veneers or crowns. The dentist recommends you refrain from having dark-colored beverages for at least 48 hours after getting your teeth bonded. If you are a smoker, you must consider alternative treatments to dental bonding. As composite resin is porous, your teeth develop yellow stains from exposure to cigarette smoke.
Caring for Your Bonded Teeth
When you take excellent care of your dental hygiene, you help extend the life of your bonded teeth. Therefore you must follow dental hygiene practices recommended by your dentist to brush at least twice a day and floss at least once. You must avoid hard foods and candy and refrain from biting fingernails. Avoiding tea, coffee, and smoking for at least 48 hours after getting your teeth bonded helps prevent stains. Besides the above, schedule regular appointments with your dentist for cleanings every six months.
Tooth Bonding helps you alter your smile to boost your confidence. If you have dental flaws impacting your smile, please contact DSV Dental Brooklin Village to bond your tooth and change your smile forever.