Being naturally strong and durable, you’re teeth should help you chew for the rest of your life. The enamel on your teeth is the strongest part of your body.
Breaking or chipping teeth, however, can happen easier than you think without any severe trauma. You can chip a front tooth on a glass, break a tooth chewing ice, or even while using your teeth as a tool. It’s even easier to break a tooth if you are suffering from tooth decay, teeth grinding, acid reflux, or gum disease.
Dental bonding can repair your chipped or broken teeth and prevent them from any further damage. Is it the correct dental procedure for you? In this blog post we’ll go over the pros-and-cons of Dental Bonding and whether this procedure is the right fit for your situation.
What is Dental Bonding?
Tooth bonding is actually a simple cosmetic dental procedures. Typically this treatment doesn’t even require anesthesia, unless you’re getting a cavity filled. Usually it only takes one visit to complete, so it doesn’t require multiple visits to our East El Paso dental office.
To begin with, our dentist will use a shade guide to choose a composite resin color that matches the color of your natural teeth. The dentist prepares the surface of the tooth and applies a liquid that allows the bonding agent to stick to the tooth.
Dr. Willison will then apply the composite resin over the liquid, and applies the tooth molds. Then he hardens the material with ultraviolet light.
If necessary, our dentist can further shape the tooth after the resin has been hardened.
Is Dental Bonding the Right Procedure for Me?
For minor cosmetic alterations, bonding is a simple and affordable alternative to veneers, crowns, or orthodontic procedures.
Common issues that can be treated by bonding include:
- Chipped or cracked teeth
- Discolored teeth that do not respond to whitening treatments
- Slight gaps between teeth
- “Short teeth” or worn-down surfaces
- Minor decay
While dental bonding is often an ideal treatment for making minor improvements, it may not be the best choice for more severe or extensive oral health issues. Schedule a dental bonding consultation with Dr. Willison in his El Paso, TX dental office to find out if bonding is the right option for you.
Since bonding is more affordable than other procedures, it’s a great choice for someone who needs to repair a broken tooth but doesn’t want to break the bank. Plus, composite resin is long-lasting and natural-looking for substituting a tooth.
Tooth Bonding Procedure
- Preparation. Since dental bonding is such a simple proceudre, anesthesia is often not necessary unless the bonding is being used for more invasive procedures such as filling a tooth, or fixing a broken tooth with a nerve exposed. Our dentist will use a shade guide to select a composite resin color that matches the color of your tooth.
- The bonding process. The dentist will prepare the surface of the tooth and apply the conditioning liquid. This will help the bonding material adhere to the tooth. That tooth-colored resin is applied, molded, and smoothed to the correct shape. The material is hardened with a bright ultra-violet light. After the material hardens, our dentist will further shape it, then polish it to match the sheen of the rest of your teeth.
- Time to completion. Dental bonding takes about 30-60 minutes per tooth to complete depending on the severity of each situation. Because of some of the limitations of dental bonding, some dentists view it as best suited for small cosmetic changes, for short-term correction of cosmetic problems, and for correcting teeth in areas of very low bite pressure (front teeth, for example). Talk with your dentist about the best cosmetic dentistry treatment for you.
Pros and Cons of Dental Bonding
Pros:
Same-Day Installation
For anyone who chips or breaks a tooth, it will most likely be important to repair the tooth promptly. Taking care of the situation will help prevent the tooth from becoming infected and allow you to eat again without discomfort. Bonding can be placed quickly, so that by the time the appointment is over, a patient will have a tooth that can be used for biting and chewing again without issue.
They Look Like Your Natural Teeth
The tooth-colored bonding material is use to blend in with the natural surrounding teeth without it being obvious that a repair was made. The bonding material will only be placed in the area of the tooth that needs to be restored.
Non-invasive Dental Procedure
With treatments such as dental crowns or dental veneers, more of the enamel needs to be removed from the tooth. Once enamel has been removed, it will not grow back. This makes those cosmetic procedure more invasive. With dental bonding, the tooth structure only needs to be roughened slightly for the bonding material to be applied. Preserving the majority of the tooth structure that will remain intact, which is beneficial for anyone who is unsure of how they want to restore the tooth permanently.
Easy Mantainance & Care
For maintenance and care, brushing and flossing like normal and being careful when it comes to avoiding damaging a natural tooth is sufficient care. The bonding material can sustain damage just like a natural tooth, if one bites down on something hard. Regular dental visits will also ensure that the dental bonding will last for years to come.
Cons:
The negatives apects of dental bonding come down to durability and longevity. A crown will typically last longer than dental bonding will. Additionally, bonding can be slightly more fragile since it only covers a portion of the tooth, rather than the entire tooth. Finally, as the composite resin begins to wear down, there may be an obvious difference between the portion of the tooth that was restored and the natural tooth structure.
Schedule a Dental Bonding Consultation Today!
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