What Is Cosmetic Dental Bonding?
Also known as direct bonding or cosmetic bonding, dental bonding is a more conservative and affordable alternative to veneers. It’s designed to conceal a multitude of aesthetic flaws such as chips, discoloration, and gaps using composite resin. This is the same material found in tooth-colored fillings, so you can be sure your results will be lifelike.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Cosmetic Dental Bonding?
If you’re looking for an easy, cost-effective way to make minor flaws in your teeth disappear, then dental bonding may be ideal for you. Some of the common issues that bonding can address include:
- Chipped or cracked tooth enamel
- Stains that don’t respond to whitening
- Small yet noticeable gaps between the teeth
- Misshapen, short, or “stubby” teeth
When you meet with your cosmetic dentist in Brick Township for a consultation, he will discuss the specific improvements you’d like to make to your smile. From there, he can determine whether dental bonding is the best solution. As with any other cosmetic dental treatment, your mouth should be free of health issues before proceeding, so any instances of tooth decay, gum disease, and other concerns must be treated first.
The Cosmetic Dental Bonding Process
Unless you’re having many teeth treated, you can plan for the dental bonding process to require only a single appointment. You can also expect the visit to be comfortable. In fact, most patients don’t even need to have their mouths numbed with a local anesthetic.
First, Dr. Gizachew will carefully choose the shade of composite resin that most closely resembles your enamel. He will clean the area being treated and then etch the tooth’s surface which helps the resin form a sturdy attachment. Next, he will apply the resin over the flaw in question, gradually covering it up and sculpting the resin.
Once the imperfection has essentially disappeared, he will harden the bonding material using a special ultraviolet light. This only takes a few seconds. Lastly, he will give the tooth a final polish, and presto! Your tooth will look better than ever before.
The Benefits of Cosmetic Dental Bonding
Here are just a few of the reasons why our patients love dental bonding:
- It’s a versatile procedure that can fix several cosmetic issues simultaneously.
- The process takes about 30-60 minutes per tooth, in most cases.
- The procedure is almost always painless.
- Your results will look natural and can last for 5-10 years on average.
- While veneers and crowns require some enamel to be removed from the tooth, bonding lets us preserve more of your tooth’s natural structure.
- Bonding is one of the most affordable cosmetic dental services we offer.