Have you ever wished your teeth looked better? Are you tired of the colour or shape of your teeth? For many, cosmetic bonding (or resin veneers ) helps them feel better about their appearance.
Your teeth are an important part of both looks and digestion. They should work well to grind and bite your food so you can later swallow and digest it. However, when your teeth are misaligned or are poorly shaped, cracked, or otherwise damaged, they won’t function properly.
Be sure to consider cosmetic bonding if your teeth make you unhappy. It could be the way to a perfect mouth and a beautiful smile. At Great Alpine Dental, we offer this type of cosmetic dentistry, so you can boost your self-confidence and improve the function of your teeth.
What Is Cosmetic Bonding?
It’s the application of a hardened resin to the teeth to change colour, shape, and even the perceived position. The resin is merely applied atop the existing tooth and then shaped until it looks perfect. Even crooked teeth can be made straight-looking without the worry of braces or pulling a tooth.
Preparation
Before any cosmetic bonding is done, you must treat any disease or issue in the mouth first. This ensures you don’t seal in an infection or decay. The dentist will look at the possible causes for cracked or discoloured teeth and provide you with options for treatment.
You should tell your dentist what bothers you most about your teeth. What is annoying about them? Do you have any issues with pain? Is chewing difficult?
Your dentist also needs to know if you have had previous treatments. You may wish to bring along photos of your teeth prior to their discolouration, cracking, or other issues. This shows the dentist the look you want.
Procedure
To begin, the dentist creates a rough surface on the teeth to be treated. This helps the resin to stick properly. The dentist then applies a special liquid that will help the bonding process, as well.
The next step is the application of resin to the teeth. This will be the colour that matches your other teeth, and it is smoothed and then cured with UVA light. It takes seconds to cure and harden the resin on your tooth.
Once the resin is hard, the dentist proceeds to shape and grind down the resin to create a natural-looking tooth. The entire procedure lasts around 30 to 60 minutes per tooth. You may need a longer session if you intend to have several teeth done.
Aftercare
Aftercare is very important. Avoiding intensely coloured and hard foods, and keeping them clean is very important. In addition, regular dental visits are very important too to ensure they last long for you.
Look after your teeth to help them last as long as possible. You should avoid heavily coloured drinks, such as red wine and coffee, which may stain your bonding. Smoking (something 12.2% of adults do) can also discolour your new teeth.
Advantages of Cosmetic Bonding
You’ll find plenty of advantages to doing this procedure. It’s great for improving your self-confidence and can correct many of the small imperfections that are noticeable on front teeth. It’s also faster than veneers since the dentist does the procedure, and there is no wait for veneers to arrive.
When used on front teeth, cosmetic bonding is ideal. These teeth tend not to have a lot of pressure, which could cause the resin to crack under use.
Disadvantages of Cosmetic Bonding
Like most procedures, cosmetic bonding isn’t always perfect. Your natural teeth are far stronger than cosmetic resin. It’s also best for the correction of minor issues, not larger ones. If you need to manage more severe issues, you should look at crowns or veneers instead.
If any decay is missed on the tooth after adding the resin, it will continue to expand and eat away at the tooth. This is why you need to know what issues you have before the bonding procedure.
Who Can Get Cosmetic Bonding?
Anyone with minor issues with their front teeth is an ideal candidate for cosmetic bonding. The resin does cause minor reactions in very few people, but this is quite rare. Adults tend to benefit most from this procedure, but anyone can have it done.
Great Alpine Difference:
Using our DSD (Digital Smile Design) protocol, you can have a trial smile or simulation of how your new smile will look on your own teeth before you decide to actually do the bonding/resin veneers.
Summary
Cosmetic bonding is a fairly minor treatment yet treats so many cosmetic dental issues that plague people today. The alternative is to continue living without the ability to smile and show your teeth due to cracks, chips, or discolouration.
Everyone deserves to have a smile they can be proud of, and cosmetic bonding can help. Are you ready to make the change? Contact us today to learn how we can help you improve your teeth.
