What Dental Issues Can Tooth Bonding Help Fix?
A beautiful smile can impact your general health, self-confidence, career, and overall quality of life. On the other hand, dental imperfections can make you more insecure and less confident about your smile. Luckily there are a lot of treatments available today to fix dental imperfections.
Dental bonding is a popular option for a variety of dental issues. Generally, dental bonding is best suited for minor tooth damage. Dental procedures such as dental veneers and crowns may be ideal for significant tooth damage. To determine whether you can benefit from dental bonding, visit a dental office near you for an assessment. The dentist will examine your teeth to determine whether you’re qualified for the procedure.
Dental Bonding Procedure
Teeth bonding is generally easy, quick, and virtually painless. Unlike alternative methods such as crowns, dental bonding requires little preparation. You may only need anesthesia if the dentist needs to clean out decay. The dentist roughens the tooth’s surface and applies a conditioning liquid. It allows the bonding material to adhere to the tooth easily.
Next, tooth-colored putty-like material is applied to the tooth—the dentist molds it to give you a smooth and natural shape. Next, the dentist uses a special light or laser to quicken the hardening process. Once the material hardens, the dentist trims and shapes the tooth further. The tooth is then polished to match the rest of the teeth. On average, the treatment only takes about an hour per tooth.
Dental Issues Addressed with Dental Bonding
Here are some common reasons to consider teeth bonding:
- Repair decayed teeth
Tooth decay can lead to pulp infection, eventually leading to gum recession, oral infections, loose teeth, bone damage, and tooth loss. Removing the decayed parts of the teeth and filling the cavities will prevent the decay from spreading.
- Repair cracked and chipped teeth
When left untreated, minor teeth chips and cracks can harbor plaque and harmful bacteria. Eventually, this leads to cavities, tooth decay, loose teeth, and tooth loss. Bonding materials are applied to chipped or cracked teeth, repairing the flaws and strengthening the tooth’s structure.
- Improve the appearance of stained or discolored teeth
Teeth stains and discoloration can affect your smile and make you feel unhealthy or insecure. If teeth whitening doesn’t work, your dentist can recommend whitening your teeth with dental bonding. The procedure involves applying tooth-colored bonding material on the teeth, consequently improving the tooth’s appearance and structure.
- Close, improper teeth gaps
Improperly gapped teeth can cause chewing difficulties. Besides, these gaps can encourage plaque and bacteria buildup in the mouth, leading to decay and gum disease. Your dentist can use dental bonding to close improper spaces between teeth, giving you a natural and healthy smile.
- Improve the shape and size of teeth
Do you feel that your teeth are short or uneven? Dental bonding allows the dentist to apply and shape additional tooth-colored materials on your teeth, giving them a normal size.
Reasons to Consider Dental Bonding
If you are still unsure whether dental bonding is the ideal solution for you, here are a few reasons why bonding is good for your teeth and smile:
- It is less expensive. Dental bonding is cheaper than alternative treatments such as veneers and crowns.
- Safe. The bonding materials are metal-free and nontoxic for your teeth and gums.
- Less invasive. Compared to alternative treatments that require enamel shaving, dental bonding requires very little preparation.
- Restorative and cosmetic benefits. Bonding teeth helps repair dental damage in an aesthetically appealing way.
- Natural-looking results. The bonding material is customized to match the color of your natural teeth.
- Durable. With proper dental care, dental bonding lasts about 3-10 years. After that, your dentist will have to replace or repair the affected areas.
Schedule an Appointment Today
Are you interested in tooth bonding services to repair tooth damage and enhance your smile? Contact Westwood Dental Group – Formerly, the office of Dr. Donald J. McLellan to schedule your appointment.