You may have more options for improving your smile’s appearance than you realize, and in many cases, those options are as minimally invasive as they are effective. For instance, with bonding, your dentist can successfully improve a number of different smile issues without having to permanently change your tooth structure. Today, we take a look at a few specific things that make tooth bonding the optimal solution for a variety of different conditions, and when your dentist may recommend it as your best smile improvement solution.
If you’re tired of feeling self conscious because of imperfections in your smile, you probably already know that cosmetic dentistry can help. But do you know how? There are actually a number of treatment options to help correct flaws of both the teeth and gums. Often just figuring out which is right for you is half the challenge. If stains are your primary concern, a simple whitening treatment could be the difference between a dingy and a dazzling smile.
Other issues, however, like gaps between teeth or disproportional teeth can be fixed, and much quicker than you might think. But there are a number of ways to address them. Figuring out which is best at addressing your concerns, and fitting your lifestyle and budget, can be tricky, but that is where an experienced cosmetic dentist comes in. His or her expertise can help you transition from struggling with insecurity, feeling confident in your one of a kind and beautiful smile!
How Does Bonding Work?
When patients are embarrassed by odd sized teeth, those that appear misshapen, jagged edges, permanent staining, and even minor gaps between the teeth, cosmetic dentists generally recommend two treatment options, either porcelain veneers or cosmetic bonding. While porcelain veneers are designed to create even longer-lasting results thanks to porcelain’s stain resistance and strength, cosmetic bonding offer as number of benefits all its own.
Some of the unique benefits of choosing cosmetic bonding include:
- Cosmetic bonding is one of the fastest cosmetic treatments available. In fact, most dentists can complete bonding in an hour or two.
- That is because bonding is completed by sculpting a composite resin material onto the teeth, skillfully, in order to create a more symmetrical, brighter and more beautiful smile.
- Bonding is a procedure that can effectively address several cosmetic issues at once. Only veneers are another way to do that.
Using bonding is better for patients on a tighter time frame (or budget) for treatment than veneers would allow.
What does your dentist bond to your tooth?
Dental bonding involves placing lifelike, bio-compatible resin on your tooth and then sculpting and polishing it to mimic your tooth’s healthy color, texture, and appearance. Tooth colored composite resin is a mixture of finely ground acrylic and quartz like particles that can be tinted to the exact color and shade of your healthy tooth structure.
The material used is the same prized for modern dental-fillings because or it’s ability to blend so seamlessly with natural teeth. After being carefully sculpted, it can then be hardened and polished to match even your teeth’s sheen, so the result is a much more symmetrical and beautiful smile.
Bonding and Contouring, and Veneers All Offer Teeth Enhancements
If your concerns are more pronounced than staining, but are related only to imperfections in your teeth, bonding, contouring and veneers are three options that offer various solutions. Bonding can correct small teeth, while contouring can be used to adjust any teeth that are overly large. Both bonding and veneers can accomplish many of the same enhancements, but veneers offer the added durability that comes with dental porcelain. They’re also more stain resistant, making them ideal for heavy coffee drinkers, for instance. Of course, your budget may also be a deciding factor. If so, bonding and contouring are more affordable (and quicker to complete) than veneers.
Much like porcelain veneers, bonding can help address esthetic concerns related to the shape, size, or stains on your teeth. It is a less expensive cosmetic alternative to veneers. It can even address minor alignment issues, such as spaces between teeth. However, unlike veneers, bonding does not require any prosthetics be crafted for you. That’s because bonding relies on the dentist’s own artistic ability and craftsmanship to help mold composite resin onto your teeth in a way that hides any flaws.
What does bonding fix?
In addition to its highly lifelike appearance and minimal effect on your tooth structure, tooth bonding is also versatile enough to conform to any part of your tooth structure. It can be an optimal way to fix a discolored tooth, chipped tooth, fill a cavity, excessive spaces between front teeth, and much more. Tooth bonding has replaced amalgam fillings as the main filling material.
Of course, bonding isn’t an ideal solution for everyone. The material used is more prone to staining than porcelain. Smokers or heavy coffee drinkers might prefer the longevity of porcelain veneers.
Is bonding effective for multiple teeth?
While tooth bonding is highly effective for improving one or two teeth, conditions that affect multiple teeth may require a more comprehensive solution. For instance, custom designed porcelain veneers can be used to improve several different teeth at once, offering to fix your smile in a minimally invasive way like tooth bonding.
Ways We Can Correct Your Concerns
Though it’s not as common as some cosmetic treatments, like professional teeth whitening, cosmetic bonding is still a wonderfully affordable and quick way to address imperfections of the teeth. From small teeth, to minor gaps and permanent staining, jagged edges to misshapen teeth, bonding can help. It’s also durable and nearly seamless with your natural smile.
Bonding utilizes the same composite resin material now used for many tooth colored fillings. This material that is prized for both its ability to bond to teeth and its ability to be shaped. It allows the dentist to tint the resin to match your natural teeth. The dentist can sculpt it to match the contour of the tooth while hiding any noticeable imperfections.
Veneers tend to be longer lasting than resin and have more stain resistance. It is true that porcelain veneers will look better and are stronger than bonding. They also last longer. Often, there is a tough decision whether to use porcelain veneers or cosmetic bonding. So, before you settle on bonding to fix your smile woes, talk with your dentist about all of your options. There is always more than one choice for you!
We invite you to have a consultation
You may wish to fill spaces between the teeth for a more uniform appearance. For many patients bonding is the best choice for addressing smile concerns. Your cosmetic dentist can help you decide what’s right for you. Ultimately, the choice is based on lifestyle, current conditions, budget, time for treatment, and goals. The more you know about bonded teeth, the more you may realize that it could be the best solution.