How Does Dental Bonding Work?

Dental bonding can be an effective and cost-efficient way to repair chipped and damaged teeth. It can be used on any tooth, including front teeth, and looks like your natural tooth. It also functions like natural teeth.

For many people, dental bonding can restore their smile and provide more function than they had with a damaged tooth. It can also prevent the tooth from being damaged further.

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Providing sedation services with a caring staff to make your dental office visit a better experience.

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We provide treatment options and consultations that improve your oral health now and prevent issues as you age.

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Our new technology and educated dentists specialize in dental care that addresses both minor and major oral health issues.

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From our patient and compassionate staff to the dental care we provide our patients, our dental office will keep you smiling for years to come.

What is Bonding?

Dental bonding falls under the category of cosmetic procedures. It is applying a material to your tooth over the damaged area where it hardens and, in essence, becomes a part of your tooth. Bonding can be done for chipped or cracked teeth, or decayed teeth, to improve how discolored teeth look. to fill in gaps, to change the shape of teeth and to make them look longer.

The procedure takes between a half hour and an hour to complete bonding on one tooth for most patients. However, a complicated case with several teeth, extensive damage, or tooth decay may take longer or involve several dental visits.

Dental bonding procedures began with only a little preparation for many. Your dentist typically won’t need anesthesia unless the bonding involves filling decayed teeth or if the procedure is going to need drilling. The primary preparation is doing an evaluation and your dentist finding a resin color that matches your tooth color.

The composite resin used in bonding is a type of plastic that will harden under UV light. The dentist will start by making the tooth surface rough so the resin will stick to it. The dentist will not need to shave down your tooth as they sometimes do in other procedures and your tooth is not damaged during bonding.

A conditional liquid is put on the tooth to help the resin stick to the tooth. It’s a safe liquid even though it acts as a type of glue. Then, the resin is applied. It is tooth-colored but feels like a putty. The dentist will mold and shape it to match your other teeth or to the desired shape if you are changing the look of your teeth.

The patient then sits with their mouth open under a bright UV light or laser to harden the material. The dentist will take some time to do some finishing touches on the shape and polish the resin to match the shine of the rest of the tooth.

Cosmetic bonding typically lasts between three and 10 years but could last a lifetime, depending on the patient’s lifestyle and care. The resin may chip or fade in color eventually but it can be easily replaced. Your natural tooth enamel remains intact and it’s affected.

The procedure costs from $100 to $500 on average but it depends on how complex your dental issues are.

Teeth bonding is highly reliable and the patient can treat the bonded area like a real tooth, for the most part. You can bite and chew most normal items, even if your bonding is on the front teeth, but should avoid abusing your teeth by trying to open packages and other things. 

Avoiding sticky candies is something else that should be avoided whether you have bonded teeth, fillings, or natural teeth. Such habits have more risk of damaging bonded teeth.

You can still get your teeth whitened with a bonded tooth. Those cases where the bonded area is a different shade from whitened teeth may want to consider replacing the boned area to match the rest of the tooth.

Your tooth and mouth may feel strange after you get bonding. The bonded area won’t have the same sensation as your other teeth and that takes a little getting used to. Bonded teeth may also change your bite some and that will take some adjustment as well. You may have been compensating for the damaged area by chewing on the other side of your mouth so it may feel strange to be able to use the other side of your mouth.

All of these sensations will fade into normal after a month or so and you won’t notice the bonded area at all.

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Taking Care of Bonded Teeth

It isn’t any harder to care for bonded teeth than natural teeth. You still need to brush them at least twice a day and floss them daily. Most dentists like patients to use an electric toothbrush whether they have bonded or natural teeth because it’s highly effective and gentler than manual brushing.

An electric toothbrush will be a good option for those with bonded teeth because it will clean without aggressively damaging the area.

Patients who get bonding for their teeth should be careful with what and how they eat for a day or two after the procedure. This gives them time to get used to the new feel of the repaired tooth and ensures the bonding is effective. You should return to your dentist if your bonded tooth is damaged.

Those with bonded teeth should continue with regular dental appointments twice a  year to ensure the bond remains effective and check for damage to their other teeth.

What happens next?

We provide exams and x-rays to see the cause of the pain. Our capable staff will provide you with immediate relief and schedule additional appointments to resolve the problem.

Bentway Dental offers complete dental care so we can address any dental issue you have that caused the pain, whether it’s cosmetic dentistry to fix a chipped or broken tooth, an infection that may require a root canal, implants, or multiple teeth problems.

Our modern technology makes getting emergency work done simpler and easier for both the patient and the dentist.

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Get Dental Bonding Today

Dental bonding is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to repair damaged teeth. It can be used to fix a cracked or chipped tooth but can also be used to change the shape and length of your teeth to give you the smile you’ve always wanted. Ask your dentist about bonding today.

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