For patients who want to fix imperfections in their smile but do not want to commit to a set of , our cosmetic dentist will recommend dental bonding. Bonding uses tooth-colored resin to repair chipped, cracked, gapped, or irregularly shaped teeth. After the resin is hardened with a specialized light, the material is ‘bonded’ to the tooth for a natural looking result.
What is Dental Bonding For?
When compared to other involved cosmetic procedures, dental bonding is the faster, more cost-effective solution to repair unwanted issues. There are a fair number of situations where bonding would prove to be the most appropriate choice.
Our cosmetic dentist will evaluate your teeth before recommending bonding as other treatments, like orthodontics or dental veneers, may be required. Generally, bonding is reserved for small cosmetic changes or teeth in areas of low bite pressure.
Dental bonding can be used to fix:
- Chipped teeth
- Cracked teeth
- Minor gaps in between teeth
- Shorter teeth that you want to look longer
- Irregularly shaped teeth
What to Expect
Fortunately, not much preparation is required for the bonding procedure. Anesthesia may not even be necessary unless bonding is needed for a cavity or a chip on a tooth happens to be near a nerve.
Before any bonding can begin, our cosmetic dentist will use a shade guide to determine the resin color that will best match your natural tooth enamel. After a shade is chosen, the surface of the tooth will be roughened and a conditioning liquid will be applied. This will help the bonding material adhere to the tooth properly.
Our dentist will then apply and mold the tooth-colored resin to the desired shape. To harden the material, a specialized light is used. During the final stage, the hardened resin will be further trimmed, shaped, and polished to seamlessly blend in with the rest of your teeth. In total, the procedure will take about 30-60 minutes per tooth.
Easily Correct Imperfections
Sometimes a more intensive cosmetic procedure, like veneers, is not necessary. Dental bonding can easily repair less severe problems in a patient’s smile thanks to the application of tooth-colored resin. Ask our cosmetic dentist in Washington, MI, if dental bonding is right for you by calling Washington Family Dental at (586) 752-4545 or by filling out our online contact form.