What is dental bonding?
Dental bonding generally refers to a white composite fill-in, as opposed to your older amalgam metal fill-ins.
When is dental bonding recommended?
Dental bonding is recommended, certainly, if you have a fill-in. It's our number one fill-in material today. It could also be purely cosmetic. Maybe you don't like the shape of a tooth, or perhaps you have a small space between teeth. Almost anything you don't like could generally be corrected with some bonding.
What are the advantages of dental bonding?
The big advantage of dental bonding is it's what we call additive, meaning a lot of times you don't have to remove tooth structures. You can simply add the white fill-in material, and it's bonded to the tooth. It's also tooth colored. It comes in many different shades. We match as closely as we can, and oftentimes, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Or if you can, it's very subtle, and no one else should be able to tell the difference. Also, it's a relatively long-lasting material. You can have it bonded in place for many years. I, myself, had mine done. It's been about 10 years now, and it's still going strong.
Do bonded teeth look natural?
Absolutely. In the right hands, and not to toot my own horn, I've been doing this a while. I'm pretty good at it. In the right hands, it should look like natural teeth. Again, no one should look at it and know that you have bonded teeth. Or certainly not unless they were really close and staring to see if it's there or not. It comes out pretty nice. Odds are you see someone everyday that probably has some bonding on the front tooth, and you just never noticed.
Which is better, bonding or veneers?
Like everything else, there are pros and cons. I'll just run through them. Bonding, obviously, in most cases, you wouldn't have to file the tooth down. But in veneers, you don't always have to file them down either. If you do, today, it's usually very minor. I can tell you, though, veneers do have one big advantage in that the shade does not change. The color of the veneer, when we put it in, that's it, essentially for a lifetime. Whereas bonding will stain. If you're a heavy coffee drinker, wine drinker, anything like that that causes staining, generally you would want to lean towards veneers over bonding. But at the time that it's done, they can both give you very nice results that are pretty equal. Although the veneer, because it's generally made in a lab, the craftsmanship, overall speaking, it's likely to give you a better result. But bonding is a very good substitute.
What takes place during the dental bonding procedure?
I'm not sure how deep to go on this, but I'll give you a quick rundown. We use what's called an etch-in material. It roughens up the surface of the tooth. Things stick better to a rough surface than a slick, smooth one. So this etch sits on the tooth for about 10 seconds, roughens up the surface. Coincidentally, it's the same strength as the soda that you consume. It does the same thing, just as an aside of why you really shouldn't be consuming soda. But once that tooth surface is roughened, we then put what's called a bond-in agent, which is why this whole process is called bonding. The bond-in agent helps the composite material, the white filling, stick, i.e., be bonded to the tooth. So it's etched to roughen up the surface, bond-in material. You also see us use a light, a UV light, to aid this process along.
Is dental bonding painful?
It really is not. Obviously, if you have a cavity, we'd have to get you numb, remove the cavity, then do the bonding procedure. If it's that you have spaces between the teeth or something like that that we're correcting, really there's no need for anesthesia at all. There's zero pain involved in the process.
Can I brush my teeth and floss after bonding?
Absolutely. And like always, it's highly recommended. Any work that we do actually is higher maintenance required than your natural teeth. In order to keep it clean and cavity-free, you really should brush and floss even more diligently than you do with natural teeth. Then again, as I mentioned earlier, bonding can and will stain. If you're a heavy coffee drinker, wine drinker, anything that stains, something to keep in mind, yes. High maintenance, but if you do what you should do, you can keep these things stain-free for quite a while.
Are there any special instructions for caring for bonded teeth?
Nothing in particular. Honestly, treat them the same as you would your natural teeth, except just more diligently. Like keep them super clean and brush and floss. They should last you quite a while.
How long does dental bonding last?
So there is no shelf life on this, meaning if I put it in your mouth, I can't tell you, oh, in five years it'll be done. With good home care, getting back to the brushing and the flossing, you can have them in there for many, many years. Personally, I had mine done. I had two fillings on my teeth in the back. Honestly, it's been approaching 10 years. I get my annual x-rays, and they look the same as the day that my colleagues put them in there. So no shelf life. Obviously, it depends on where it is and the size of it. If it's a very large bonding on a molar that's crunching almonds and bones and whatnot, it may not last as long as something on the front tooth, depending on where on the front tooth. But size and location, and also just the bonding strength and the circumstances determine how long these things can last. But the bottom line is, they can be in there many, many years. And they've come a long way. Like everything else in society, it's advanced quite a bit. They do last quite a while now.
How much does dental bonding cost?
Obviously, like everything else, cost varies widely. It's generally hundreds and not thousands of dollars. If it's one surface on a tooth, again, it varies widely. But again, generally, it's a couple hundred dollars.
Does my insurance cover dental bonding?
The insurance question, my answer is always, honestly, your insurance really doesn't cover anything. Just think of it as a discount plan. They will contribute something towards your bonding cost. But again, there are clauses in that. So if it's purely cosmetic, maybe it's a space you don't like, then they're not likely to cover that. But if it's something that you absolutely needed, like a filling because you had a cavity, yes, they would generally cover some percentage. I shouldn't say cover. They will contribute a dollar amount to that. How much, it varies immensely.
Cosmetic bonding entails applying a tooth-colored composite material to enhance the appearance of a tooth, promoting a more aesthetically pleasing smile while maintaining a natural look.
During the bonding process, tooth-colored material is added to the tooth to reshape and enhance its appearance.
Bonding is commonly utilized to:
- Correct the shape of a chipped tooth
- Enhance the appearance of a cracked tooth
- Achieve a more uniform tooth color
Advantages of bonding compared to other cosmetic treatments include:
- Cost-effectiveness: Bonding is often a more affordable option than other cosmetic procedures.
- Time efficiency: Bonding appointments typically require less than an hour to complete.
- Preservation of tooth structure: Bonding allows for the preservation of the natural tooth structure
While bonding may offer advantages, it may not be as long-lasting or durable as veneers or crowns. Additionally, bonding material can be susceptible to staining from substances such as coffee, tea, tobacco, or certain foods, emphasizing the importance of proper home care.