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What Dental Issues Can Be Treated with Cosmetic Bonding?

Cosmetic dental bonding is a non-invasive, quick procedure to improve and even out your smile. Sometimes called composite bonding or dental bonding, this procedure can cover discoloured teeth, fix minor chips or cracks, and be used to fill small areas of decay. Your dentist can also reshape teeth that are naturally misshapen using the putty-like resin that hardens to create a permanent bond with your natural tooth. 

Dental bonding is extremely safe, and all dentists should be familiar with the procedure. It is one of the most commonly performed dental procedures worldwide and a more affordable, less invasive alternative to veneers

Cosmetic dental bonding can be used to fix a wide range of dental issues, which we regularly treat at Great Alpine Dental.

What is Dental Bonding?

Dental bonding is a simple procedure during which your dentist affixes a composite resin — a strong type of plastic — to the surface of your teeth. They then shape it to fix cosmetic dental issues or minor problems like cracks and chips in teeth. 

Usually, cosmetic dental bonding can be completed in a single appointment with either no anaesthetic or only local anaesthetic needed for the procedure. 

When you visit your dentist for dental bonding, your dentist will:

  • Clean the surface that will be bonded to create the best possible surface for the procedure
  • Apply the resin and then shape the bonding material
  • Use UV light to dry the material
  • In some cases, carry out more shaping
  • Finally, your dentist will buff and polish the bonded material to create the look of a healthy tooth

Bonding removes very little of your natural tooth compared to veneers, crowns, and implants. There are downsides, however; the bonding material can be prone to staining and is not as strong as your natural teeth. 

Dental Problems That Cosmetic Bonding can Fix

Minor Cracks or Chips

Your dentist can cover minor cracks or chips in your teeth using composite resin. The resin is placed over a chip or gently pushed to fill and cover a crack. Because the resin used in dental bonding is so shapeable, it can be manipulated to look just like your tooth did before the damage occurred. 

Gaps Between Your Teeth

If you have teeth that are generally well aligned but have a couple of visible gaps between them (particularly at the front), you may be a great candidate for cosmetic dental bonding. In these cases, the resin is pushed between the two teeth and shaped to look like part of each. As with all cosmetic bonding procedures, your dentist will colour-match the resin to look like the rest of your teeth.

Decayed Teeth

The same composite resin used for cosmetic dental bonding can be used for fillings. Known as composite fillings, these are used for larger areas of decay or when a patient wants white fillings that match the rest of their smile better than the more common (and less costly) amalgam option. 

Teeth Discolouration

Discoloured teeth can cause a lot of worry and embarrassment. 

Cosmetic dental bonding can be used on single discoloured teeth or groups of discoloured teeth to cover the tooth surface before being polished to match the colour of the surrounding teeth. 

Your dentist will colour-match the bonding material to the teeth around your discoloured tooth to create a natural look. This is a cheap alternative to replacing discoloured teeth with veneers. 

Misshapen Teeth

Your dentist can use resin and bonding material to build up the shape of teeth that are cosmetically troubling but medically fine. Broken teeth can also sometimes be fixed with composite resin bonding. Again, the procedure is simple and quick. 

Is Cosmetic Dental Bonding Right for you?

Cosmetic dental bonding is an inexpensive option for anyone with generally good dental health who needs minor dental issues fixed or wants cosmetic improvements to their smile as quickly and easily as possible.

Although resin doesn’t last a lifetime, fixing or replacing damaged areas of teeth bonding is usually just as easy and affordable as the initial procedures. Dental bonding isn’t suitable for people with serious gum disease, heavy smokers, or as an alternative to tooth replacement. If you want to know more about cosmetic dental bonding, find out if you’re a good candidate, or book a consultation or appointment, get in touch with the expert dental professionals at Great Alpine Dental. We’re always happy to help perfect a smile.

Great Alpine Dental