What Dental Bonding Is All About
Stained teeth? A chipped tooth? Or did you just get a tooth or two broken after an accident? Worry no more for dental bonding can do wonders to bring back your pretty smile. More so, it can be that solution to have that real teeth “feel” after a minor mishap that led to the chip or breakage in tooth. But what is dental bonding all about?
It is a cosmetic dentistry procedure which uses materials and bonds them to the slightly damaged tooth. Being so, it results to a new, whole and healthier looking new one. Dental bonding is idea for minor cosmetic dentistry like closing gaps between teeth, or mending broken and chipped tooth. Some procedures involve filling small cavities as well. For most dental bonding, the dentist will have to use the composite materials, do sculpting and reshaping of teeth, and then have it hardened and polished to look like new. The dentist undertakes the process by applying phosphoric acid on teeth surface. The acid helps in etching and roughing up the surface to allow the bonding material to have solid hold on the tooth to be repaired. Once done, the teeth surface is then shaped and sculpted to a more desirable form. Laser is applied as well to make sure the bonding material is hardened like the teeth. The last process is called polishing which gives the new teeth a smooth finish, and the “feel” of a real teeth!
For many people who have gone through dental bonding, it is the budget-friendly way to get small-time dental repairs. Not only that: most dental bonding processes are covered by health insurance. So it doesn’t break your budget at all. In particular, when dental bonding is done for structural repairs or filling up of cavities, then dental insurance will answer to it easily. Also, unlike use of veneers in other cosmetic dentistry procedure, it can be said that dental bonding is less expensive.
Other advantages of dental bonding would be the speed of the process, as well as the easy way it’s performed. All the process would take is just one visit to the dental office and doesn’t take more than an hour and a half. Patients who had dental bonding also appreciate the process because it doesn’t require anesthesia, unlike having veneers and crowns. More so, the cosmetic process doesn’t require heavy removal of essential enamel on tooth surface.
On the downside, dental bonding is understandably less durable compared to crowns and porcelain veneers. If you’re not easy on your teeth, then the bond applied could be chipped and broken. So it will mean that you have to give proper care and exercise extra caution with hard foods, impact and all other causes of chipping and breaking in teeth. Another disadvantage found in dental bonding is that the material can discolor after sometime. Knowing well these outcomes of dental bonding over time, it is important to know proper care and maintenance. So this means you have to avoid foods and drinks that easily contribute to
staining and other forms of discoloration in teeth. Also, one has to cut out cigarette and smoking altogether to retain the uniform color of bonding materials and teeth. Habits such as chewing or biting on hard objects and nails should be stopped; crunching on ice and candies should be avoided as well. If you notice there’s sharp and roughened edge in the teeth surface, then go to the dentist and have the bond checked right away. In the same way, when you feel pain or discomfort in the bonded tooth at any point, then it’s best to have it checked by your dentist.
Over all, however, dental boding is a great choice for minor cosmetic dentistry. With just a small budget, you can find a really skilled and experienced dental cosmetic specialist. Pretty soon, you’ll have a great smile with teeth that looks new. After that, take good care of your bonded teeth and make sure your smile stays for long!
