Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is a technique in which a tooth-like resin is carefully sculpted and affixed to your teeth. Dental bonding creates a strong, durable surface that is indistinguishable from natural tooth enamel.
Dental bonding is an excellent solution to dental problems including:
- Gaps between teeth
- Teeth that are chipped or broken
- Cracking and pitting on the tooth surface
- Stubborn tooth stains
- Cavities
The resin material used for bonding creates a surface that mimics the natural surface of the tooth — including the color, shape, and size of your natural tooth enamel — improving the appearance of teeth with superficial damage and unsightly imperfections.
The Dental Bonding Procedure
The tooth bonding procedure usually takes place in a single office visit.
First, your dentist will prepare your tooth surface with an etching substance to roughen the existing tooth enamel so that the resin material bonds permanently to the natural tooth.
Once the surface of the tooth is prepared, your dentist will prepare the resin material in just the right shade to ensure that it matches your natural teeth. He or she will then carefully sculpt the material, ensuring that the size and shape of the dental bonding is just right. This may require two or three applications.
Once the shape of the tooth is satisfactory, the resin will be cured, or hardened, using a specially calibrated light. This ensures that the material bonds completely with the natural tooth, giving you a seamless, long-lasting, natural looking tooth surface.
Finally, your dentist will make minor adjustments to the shape and contours of the tooth, and will polish the finished surface to provide the final, finishing details to your new tooth surface.
Common Questions About Dental Bonding
How long will the procedure take?
The procedure for dental bonding takes place in a single office visit.
How long will my bonding last?
As with many things, this depends quite a bit on the location of the bonding and on individual factors. As a general rule, however, tooth bonding will last between seven to eleven years.
Will people be able to tell my teeth are bonded?
Bonding material can be color-matched to your teeth, and can be sculpted with a great deal of precision to replicate the natural contours of the tooth. If you choose a skilled dentist with experience in cosmetic and aesthetic dentistry, the bonding should be indistinguishable from natural tooth material.