When something affects the appearance of your teeth, such as stained teeth or a chipped tooth, dental bonding could be the solution. Dental bonding is a relatively simple procedure used to make minor dental repairs. During the procedure a composite material, colored to match the teeth, is applied to a tooth and shaped to correct a defect. Once shaped, the composite is hardened and polished so that it matches the rest of the teeth. There are several benefits to dental bonding.
Color Matching
One of the great benefits of dental bonding is that the color or the composite material can be made to match the patient’s teeth. This is especially helpful when dental bonding is used to correct defects on the front teeth. Our front teeth are clearly visible when we smile, so having a composite color that matches the neighboring teeth keeps smiles looking natural. Tooth colored bonding can also be used for fillings instead of silver colored fillings.
Lifespan
Many patients turn to dental bonding because it has a decent lifespan with relatively little care needed. The best practices for caring for dental bonding are about the same as those for your regular daily oral hygiene. Daily brushing and flossing, along with yearly cleaning visits to your dentist, will keep your teeth and your bonding material clean and healthy. Dental bonding can often last up to a decade without needing a touch up or repair, if the bonded area is taken care of.
Cost
Another great upside to dental bonding is that it is less expensive than some other procedures. For example, dental bonding often costs less than veneers. The cost of dental bonding does vary from dentist to dentist. Overall cost also depends on how many teeth will require bonding, and how much. Consulting a dental professional beforehand will help you determine an estimate of the cost of your particular dental bonding procedure.
Simple Procedure
In addition to being a relatively inexpensive procedure, dental bonding is also usually a simple one. While veneers and other cosmetic dental procedures can require several visits to your local dentist, the same isn’t true of dental bonding. Getting dental bonding done, depending on how many teeth need bonding, can usually be done in a single appointment. Another benefit of the simplicity of dental bonding is that anesthesia is rarely needed. Unless a potentially uncomfortable area is being bonded, such as part of a decayed tooth, dental bonding can be done without anesthesia.
Enamel Removal
Enamel protects your teeth, so removing some of it for any dental procedure must be done carefully and sparingly. Dental bonding requires very little change to a tooth’s enamel in order to be effective. Compared to other professional dental procedures, such as veneers and crowns, dental bonding usually removes the least amount of enamel from your teeth. Not having to remove enamel helps keep the procedure short and keep your teeth protected.
