Teeth bonding is a popular cosmetic treatment at our Chattanooga dental office. Unlike more conventional smile makeover procedures (like ceramic crowns, take-home whitening, or getting a porcelain veneer), teeth bonding is a simple, straightforward procedure that makes your teeth look better in just one office visit.
Dental bonding is an excellent and conservative solution if you have cosmetic dental issues that make you feel self-conscious or refrain from smiling.
What is Dental Bonding?
Cosmetic tooth bonding uses material similar to what our dentist’s office places to fill cavities. But instead of the bonding material being placed into a decayed tooth, it’s shaped over healthy tooth structures for cosmetic purposes.
The material used for dental bonding comes in a variety of shades, so our Chattanooga dentist can select the one that blends in the best. When you smile, no one can tell the difference between the tooth bonding and your actual tooth enamel because they closely match one another. It’s almost like getting a white filling, except your tooth isn’t numbed, and the teeth bonding is in a more prominent area of your smile.
When to Use Bonding in Dentistry
A cosmetic bonding procedure may be recommended if you need to repair chips, close gaps between teeth, or if you want to change the shape of a specific tooth so that it matches its neighbors. Or you may have cosmetic problems from braces that cause mineralization white spots on your teeth or where there is a stain resistant to teeth whitening products, so covering it with composite resin is a better solution.
The dental bonding procedure serves multiple purposes and can be used in various scenarios. Since our Chattanooga dentist can perform the treatment in one appointment, it’s a great solution when a tooth feels odd or out of place.
Some people use teeth bonding combined with other treatments to help them achieve the overall “look” they want. Because it’s such a conservative treatment, our dentist recommends it as a same-day or entry-level cosmetic solution.
Advantages of Tooth Bonding
The dental bonding procedure is as follows:
- Fast. Only one visit is required.
- Comfortable. Numbing is rarely necessary.
- Affordable. Bonding is a fraction of the cost of porcelain veneers.
- Great for all ages.
- Better for “smaller” areas and fewer teeth.
If you have one or two discolored teeth or sharp, rough edges, dental bonding material helps you achieve the desired shape in one visit. In addition, cosmetic dental bonding leaves a big impact by erasing small to moderate aesthetic flaws that otherwise detract from your entire smile. And since it will not usually require anesthesia, it’s practically a pain-free office visit.
Dental Bonding vs. Cosmetic Dental Veneers
Porcelain veneers are perfect for people who need complex, major smile makeovers involving multiple teeth. But sometimes, most of the teeth are healthy and whole, so it’s unnecessary to cover them with dental materials. In contrast, direct bonding materials cover the isolated, specific cosmetic issue to recreate the surface of the tooth causing problems. Tooth bonding immediately reshapes and covers that area, improving overall aesthetics with a more cost-effective solution. Your other teeth are left alone, and only the chipped or discolored tooth is treated. And most notably, tooth bonding is extremely budget savvy.
An Affordable Cosmetic Dental Treatment
Dental bonding is a perfect pick if you want to quickly and affordably repair chipped teeth or have a small flaw that’s detracting from a healthy and beautiful smile. Teeth bonding is more affordable than other cosmetic procedures, such as veneers. If you have stained, chipped, or misshapen teeth somewhere in the front of your smile, bonding materials can quickly change that. It’s a popular and affordable cosmetic alternative that works great on healthy, existing tooth surfaces.
What to Expect During Your Appointment
Unlike dental veneers or dental implants, composite bonding material is a one-visit process, and numbing is typically unnecessary. These cosmetic dental procedures can usually be completed in 30-45 minutes, depending on how many teeth and surfaces are involved.
First, we’ll use a shade guide to match the bonding materials with your natural tooth structure. This will allow the composite resin color to blend in with the shade of your anatomical teeth.
Next, we’ll isolate your natural teeth and use a conditioning liquid to prepare the tooth surface slightly. Then a bonding agent is brushed onto the tooth, and then the bonding material is applied. Next, Dr. McOmie will shape the composite resin to recreate the surface of your chipped or broken tooth. Once the new shape is achieved, we use a UV light to cure the bonding material onto the tooth. This hardens the composite resin into place. Then we’ll polish the bonded teeth to ensure there are no rough or sharp edges and that the restoration blends seamlessly. At that point you can look in the mirror and your chipped or cracked teeth will be completely gone!
How to Care for Bonded Teeth
Dental bonding is less durable than dental crowns or porcelain veneers. The material is bonded to the edges of teeth, so you’ll want to be careful about how you bite or chew into firmer, hard, or crunchy foods. We recommend that you avoid biting straight into anything too hard with your bonded front teeth and instead move those types of foods over to other healthy teeth a little further away.
Bonding material lasts several years if cared for properly, but it’s not uncommon to need to touch it up every now and then. To help these dental materials last as long as possible, you’ll want to practice proper oral hygiene, including daily flossing around each of your front teeth and brushing twice a day. Sleeping in a nightguard is also recommended if you tend to clench or grind your teeth.
Dental Bonding in Chattanooga
McOmie Family Dentistry offers dental bonding and a full range of cosmetic dental treatments in our Chattanooga office. A bonded tooth may be the perfect answer if you’re looking for conservative options to enhance your natural teeth. Contact our cosmetic dentistry team today to find out if composite bonding is right for you!
