Many minor cosmetic enhancements to a smile are made using composite resin material that is bonded directly to the teeth. Both the procedure and the substance used are known as Dental Bonding.
It can address:
• Stains and discolorations
• Pitted or cracked teeth
• Slightly crooked or gapped teeth
The bonding procedure
Little advanced preparation is needed. The dentist selects the bonding material using a shade guide to find the desired color.
• The tooth is prepared with a mild etching solution that creates tiny crevices in the enamel to which the bonding can adhere
• Your dentist will apply several successive layers of bonding until the chip or gap is filled, or surface area is covered
• He directs a hand-held curing light to harden the bonding
The dental defect is now corrected and will last many years with good daily care.
When used to fill cavities
White fillings are infinitely more attractive in a smile than the old metal amalgam fillings. Porcelain inlays or onlays are a type of white filling, and dental bonding also can be used for white fillings. In that context it is usually known as dental composite and the fillings as composite fillings as opposed to porcelain fillings.
The procedure is partly like the old amalgam procedure. Decay is removed, the tooth cleaned and dried, and the dental composite placed incrementally until it fills the cavity. Your bite would be tested by having you grind briefly on those pieces of dental paper. When the filling is the right shape, it is hardened by the curing light, which bonds it to the tooth.
Three advantages over amalgam fillings
1. Less healthy tooth tissue is removed. Why? Because amalgam is not bonded to the tooth. It is packed in tightly, which means the shape of the cavity must be such that it will hold the filling in. A white composite fillings simply replaces the decayed tissue and no healthy tissue is removed for shaping the cavity.
2. A white composite fillings holds the tooth together by being bonded to it. It exerts inward pressure. An amalgam filling exerts outward pressure, as that is how it remains in place. Further, metal amalgam expands and contracts as you put hot and cold substances in your mouth, and over the years this weakens the tooth, eventually cracking it.
3. A white composite fillings looks very like the tooth it fills. It does not have the pearly sheen of porcelain, as it is not semi-translucent like tooth enamel. But when matched in shade to your tooth, it is virtually indistinguishable as a filling.
If your dental defects are relatively minor, dental bonding is a quick and convenient way to correct them, and will give an attractive enhancement to your smile. An alternative procedure might sometimes be tooth contouring.
If the defects are more substantial, bonding would not be a good choice, and you might need to consider porcelain crowns, or even dental implants if your tooth needs to be replaced altogether.
Whatever the dental problem is however, there is a pleasing and effective way to treat it in this era of modern cosmetic dentistry. Technological advances continue to improve what we can offer you. Please call or email us if you would like to learn more about your dental options.
