Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is a common and popular way to fix many dental problems. It’s a fairly simple, not expensive dental procedure that can provide you a great smile in no time at all. While dental bonding may not be as long lasting or durable as a porcelain veneer or dental crown, bonding does provide the patient with a fairly quick fix that can last a long time if the tooth does not experience any trauma.
Dental bonding is an advanced composite resin applied to your teeth, very similar to putty. When applied to your teeth, it fills in gaps and covers up cracks. Once the resin is applied, we harden it with a special curing light. Because of the artistic nature of this dental treatment, it is important to have your dental bonding performed by a highly trained, experienced cosmetic dentist like our Grand Forks cosmetic dentist, Dr. Anderson.
There are many advantages to dental bonding. One is that the process does not require that a mold be made and then sent away to a lab. Dental bonding can be done in office and is painless, quick and fairly inexpensive. While dental bonding does have its advantages, there is one disadvantage that we will discuss with you at the time of your consultation: because the restoration is not crafted in a lab and because bonding is not as durable as porcelain, the quality and durability of the restoration are not as strong as in a porcelain veneer or porcelain crown. Bonding is best for cosmetic improvements rather than restorative reasons.
When to Use Dental Bonding
There are many dental problems that bonding can fix. Dental bonding is typically used to fix these problems and accomplish these goals:
- Decayed teeth
- Chipped or cracked teeth
- Discolored teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- To make teeth look longer
- To improve the shape of teeth
- As a cosmetic alternative to metal fillings
- To protect a portion of the tooth’s root that has been exposed when gums recede
The Dental Bonding Process
Dental bonding is a simple process that takes very little time and produces no pain or discomfort. It usually takes 30-60 minutes to bond one tooth. Anesthesia is not necessary unless the bonding is being done to fill a decayed, painful tooth.
Dr. Anderson will choose a resin that closely matches the color of your teeth. We will roughen up the surface of the tooth to be bonded and apply a conditioning liquid. This will help the bonding material stick to the tooth. We then apply the resin, which is like a putty, to the treated tooth and then mold it to the desired shape. We then use a special light to harden the resin material. At this time, Dr. Anderson will continue to shape, trim and polish it up to match the color of the rest of your teeth.
If you feel you may need dental bonding to fix a minor dental problem, please contact our cosmetic dental office in Grand Forks today to schedule your complimentary consultation with Dr. Jay Anderson