Are you unhappy with your smile, but you’ve put off seeing your dentist because you think improving your teeth is either unaffordable, or will take too long to see results? Did you know that tooth bonding can be a quick way to resolve many issues, such as chipped, stained or disproportionally small front teeth? Through the use of tooth colored composite plastic material, we are able to create uniformity in your smile without the use of more expensive porcelain crowns or veneers.
What issues can composite tooth bonding address?
Bonding is often a short term fix for dental emergencies when a tooth suffers trauma. The bonded material adheres to the enamel and can be shaped to match the remaining enamel.
Bonding is a procedure in which a tooth colored composite resin is used to free hand add or replace tooth structure. Composite tooth bonding can be used to fill a cavity, or sculpted to improve the shape of a jagged, chipped or broken teeth. In many cases it can even be used to fill gaps between the teeth, cover stains, and smooth sharp edges. It can be used to replace old silver fillings.
Understand how a chipped tooth is treated
A number of factors can cause a tooth to chip. For example, eating something too hard or suffering with dental trauma can lead to a broken tooth. Regardless of the cause, though, a dentist can typically repair the tooth.
How is a chipped tooth corrected with tooth bonding?
- Cracks When a tooth cracks, it occurs in one of two varying degrees: minor and severe. With a minor crack, the tooth is affected mostly on the biting surface. While these cracks don’t pose an immediate threat, leaving it untreated can cause it to worsen. To prevent the tooth from worsening, your dentist typically will remove the crack to prevent it from propagating. The dentist will then use bonding to repair the open area.
A severe crack is one that travels from the chewing surface to the root. Yet, unlike with a chipped tooth the pieces stay in tact. Should this occur, the dentist performs a crown placement or the tooth must be removed. - Severe break As aforementioned, cracked teeth remain rooted in place—a chipped tooth does not. When a tooth is badly chipped, the area typically bleeds and the patients feels quite a bit of pain since the nerves have been affected. Just like with a minor crack, the dentist checks to see if a root canal is needed and then usually does a crown.
- Decay induced break For patients who have untreated tooth decay, your tooth is prone to enduring decay induced breakage. This occurs when tooth decay has compromised the structure of the tooth. Oftentimes, the tooth can still be repaired with a filling. Occasionally, the tooth is damaged and decayed so badly that it requires a crown.
Repairing Your Smile
If you chip your tooth, rinse your mouth with salt water and take an over the counter pain reliever to address any aches. Dentists offer several options to repair chipped or decayed teeth including:
Cosmetic Bonding: Dentists apply thin layers of a special composite resin material to the damaged tooth. The tooth colored bonding material is blended with your natural teeth. This material allows the dentist to repair damaged teeth and erase unsightly permanent stains. Malformed teeth can be reshaped as well. Once applied, a special light that produces ultraviolet light is used to harden the resin material.
Am I a Candidate for Tooth Bonding?
- During consultation we will address both your cosmetic concerns and the underlying causes for those problems. If your overall oral health is good, and we think that bonding can create lasting results for you, we may be able to complete the treatment in a single visit, and often without the use of anesthesia.
- Smokers and heavy coffee, tea, red wine drinkers are not great candidates for bonding, as the material used in bonding is not as stain resistant as the porcelain used for crowns and dental implants.
- Patients with bite issues may also be better suited for other cosmetic treatments, as the bonded teeth will be more prone to chip than the porcelain alternatives.
Learn more about what tooth bonding can do for your dental health
Are you struggling to hide your dental imperfections such as a discolored tooth? Dental insurance companies pay a portion of treatments such as bonded fillings. Call your dentist or find a cosmetic dentist that does dental bonding all of the time. To schedule a consultation to learn more about these cosmetic dental procedures, call our office today at 847-234-0517.