Do you subconsciously half-smile because of a chipped or cracked tooth? Might be you do not like the stains on your teeth, and it makes you uncomfortable, especially around new people. If you have been looking for a pocket-friendly option, then cosmetic bonding in Atlanta, GA, is for you.
Composite bonding is an inexpensive and ingenious way to restore your smile in a single dental visit and requires minimal tooth preparation. There is no need for you to look for other cosmetic dental procedures like veneers and crowns.
What Is Dental Bonding All About?
Composite bonding is a procedure in cosmetic dentistry where our dentist applies a tooth-colored material (resin) on your tooth, then sculpted, hardened, and polished. The procedure is known as bonding because of the resin that bonds to your tooth.
It is ideal for less complicated cosmetic dental work like closing small spaces between teeth or fixing chipped or broken teeth. At times, teeth bonding can be used as a filling for tiny cavities because of its cosmetic appeal.
Who Needs Dental Bonding?
As you already know, composite bonding is used to correct imperfections on your tooth, like elongating a short tooth to be at the same level as the others. It can be considered as a viable option if:
- You desire to repair a chipped or cracked tooth.
- You have cavities since composite resins can be used as fillings.
- You want to improve the appearance of discolored teeth.
- You want to elongate your teeth.
- You desire to close gaps between your teeth.
- You need to cover the space where your gums have receded.
- You need to reshape your teeth.
How Is It Done?
Teeth bonding is not a complicated procedure, and here are the steps involved:
- Preparation
- You do not need to prepare for dental bonding beforehand. Generally, there is no need for anesthesia. It is only used if the bonding is being used as a tooth filling, your tooth needs reshaping, or the chip is close to the nerve.
- Bonding
- Our dentist will roughen your tooth’s surface to cause the bonding material to adhere properly. Then a conditioning liquid is also applied to aid in the bonding process. Our dentist will use a shade guide to pick out a color that closely matches your teeth.
- The tooth-colored resin will be applied, molded, and smoothed. Then your teeth will be exposed to a bright light that will be used to harden the resin. When the resin is hardened, our dentist will trim, shape, and polish the resin to match the other teeth.
- The process will take between 30 and 60 minutes per tooth.
After Care
Since dental bonding can be stained and chipped much easier than the other forms of cosmetic dentistry, you will need to be a bit more careful with them to keep the bonded teeth looking awesome.
Here are some tips:
- Brush at least twice daily
- Floss at least once daily
- Use mouthwashes at least once daily.
- Cut down on tea, coffee, and red wine.
- Because they chip quickly, stop biting your nails, chewing on hard objects like ice, pencils, and raw carrots.
- Avoid smoking
- When you notice that your teeth have sharp edges, call our dentist.
How Long Does Dental Bonding Last?
The lifespan of the bonding is dependent on the location of the bonding and your habits. But on average, expect your bonding to last anywhere from three years to ten years.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Bonding?
Just like most things, the procedure has pros and cons that are worth mentioning.
Pros
- They are quite pocket-friendly and can fit in most budgets. At times, insurance might cover most of the costs especially if you are getting it for structural reasons
- It is a simple procedure that might not require our dentist to use anesthesia unless it is used to fill a decayed tooth
- It is a fast process that will typically take less than an hour to complete working on a tooth.
Cons
- They get stained over time as compared to crowns and veneers. Cigarette smoke, red wine, coffee, and tea can stain it, causing the teeth that have bonding to stand out from the rest.
- The material used in bonding is not as durable as the porcelain used in crowns or porcelain veneers.
Either way, a healthy smile will boost your confidence. If you have discolored, cracked, or chipped teeth, contact our dentist at Creative Dentistry & Medspa and see what options are available for you.
Posted on behalf of Creative Dentistry & MedSpa