What Is Teeth Bonding?

Teeth bonding is a procedure in which a tooth-colored resin material (a durable ceramic material) is applied and hardened with a special light, which ultimately “bonds” the material to the tooth to restore or improve a person’s smile.

Why Is Teeth Bonding Done?

• Teeth bonding is an option that can be considered:
• To repair decayed teeth (composite resins are used to fill cavities)
• To repair chipped or cracked teeth
• To improve the appearance of discolored teeth
• To close spaces between teeth
• To make teeth look longer
• To change the shape of teeth
• As a cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings
• To protect a portion of the tooth’s root that has been exposed when gums recede

Teeth Bonding Procedure

Preparation.

Little advance preparation is needed for dental bonding. Anesthesia is often not necessary unless the bonding is being used to fill a decayed tooth, the tooth needs to be drilled to change its shape, or the chip is near the nerve. Your dentist will use a shade guide to select a composite resin color that will closely match the color of your tooth.

The bonding process.

The dentist will roughen the surface of the tooth and apply a conditioning liquid. These procedures help the bonding material adhere to the tooth. The tooth-colored, putty-like resin is applied, molded, and smoothed to the desired shape. The material is hardened with a bright (usually blue) light or laser. After the material hardens, your dentist will further trim and shape it, then polish it to match the sheen of the rest of the tooth surface.

Time to completion

Teeth bonding takes about 15 to 30 minutes per tooth to complete.
Because of some of the limitations of dental bonding, some dentists view it as best suited for small cosmetic changes, for short-term correction of cosmetic problems, and for correcting teeth in areas of very low bite pressure (front teeth, for example). Talk with us about the best cosmetic approach for you.