Teeth Bonding – Is It the Right Choice for You?

Even though your teeth are naturally strong, helping you to chew food easily, it does not take much to chip a tooth. In addition to accidents on the sports field, you can chip a tooth drinking from a glass bottle, trying to chew ice cubes, or even due to teeth becoming fragile due to decay or other issues. Teeth bonding is a simple yet effective treatment that helps dentists repair your chipped teeth and prevent further damage. Even if it sounds good to you, you need to know what it entails, how it can help you, and how to take care of your teeth after undergoing bonding.

Tooth Bonding Explained

Tooth bonding is a cosmetic dental procedure to repair a cracked, chipped, or broken tooth. A dentist may also recommend tooth bonding to overcome common dental issues like discolored teeth, short teeth, and unsightly gaps between teeth. The bond comprises a composite resin applied on your tooth where it is chipped, broken, or, otherwise, needs attention. After the bonding is complete, you can expect your tooth to look as good as new because, unlike a crown, the color of the composite resin used in tooth bonding matches the color of your teeth, making your smile bright and natural. In addition to its cosmetic utility, dentists use the tooth bonding procedure to address tooth issues that may prevent you from caring for your teeth, protect them from further damage, and help you to bite and chew properly.

When Should You Consider Teeth Bonding

Tooth bonding treatment is ideal if your teeth have minor issues and are not severely decayed. Dentists typically advise you to undergo teeth bonding to repair teeth damaged due to decay and to repair cracked or chipped teeth. If you have cosmetic dental issues like discolored teeth, gaps between the teeth, odd-shaped or small teeth, or want an alternative to amalgam fillings, you can consider teeth bonding. Teeth bonding is also effective for protecting the root of a tooth exposed by receding gums.

Tooth bonding works best if you are happy with the color of your teeth. If you are going in for tooth bonding, you can ask your dentist to whiten your teeth first to avoid a color mismatch if you do the whitening later. The dentist will take care to choose a bond color that matches the color of your teeth to maintain the uniformity of your smile.

Pros Teeth Bonding Procedure

Quick process: Teeth bonding is a quick and easy procedure, you can complete with a single visit to the dental clinic. Speed can be important when repairing your tooth is essential to avoid infection and allow you to start eating normally again. Since the dentist can perform the bonding and you get immediate results, it is highly beneficial if you need to travel or attend an important function. Due to the superficial nature of the treatment, you do not need to have anesthesia, making your recovery faster.

Good color matching: The dental bonding material blends in with your teeth, and nobody can make out the difference. The advantage of color matching is the dentist can repair only the damaged portion of the tooth needing restoration without needing more extensive repairs.

Non-invasive procedure: Compared to procedures like dental veneers or crowns, teeth bonding is far less invasive, allowing you to maintain the integrity of the tooth’s structure. When the dentist undertakes a procedure like placing a dental veneer or crown, he needs to prep the tooth by removing a significant amount of the enamel that can never grow back. However, for teeth bonding, the prep work is minimal, leaving most of the tooth intact and giving you more options for dental treatment later.

Easier tooth care: Since the bonding material looks and behaves exactly like your natural teeth, you can brush and floss like usual to take good care of your teeth and not have to do anything special. Your bite remains unaffected, and you can chew or bite hard foodstuffs without worry.

More affordable: Because the procedure is simple and the dentist needs to devote less time and effort, teeth bonding is far less expensive than other dental procedures like implants, crowns, and veneers. According to Everyday Health, many insurance plans will pay for teeth bonding to fill a cavity or address a structural problem.

Disadvantages of Teeth Bonding

If you compare the cons of teeth bonding to its advantages, you will find only a few significant ones. For one, the life of teeth bonding is less than other dental procedures like veneers, fillings, crowns, dental implants, etc. It is because the bonding materials are not as strong. You must refrain from biting or chewing hard objects because the bonding material can chip or break. You should not consume alcohol, tobacco products, dark-colored food, and drink as the bonding material is susceptible to staining. Due to these disadvantages, many dentists recommend teeth bonding only for cosmetic dental treatment.

The Procedure and Risks

Teeth bonding is usually a single-visit procedure that does not need you to take anesthesia unless you need to change the shape of a tooth or a filling. Choosing the correct resin color that matches your teeth is important. The dentist will prep the tooth surface by roughening it to make it easier for the bonding agent to stick. The dentist will add the composite resin to the area, mold it appropriately and cure it with UV light. The dentist can further shape the resin if required for better results. Teeth bonding is a simple, pain-free, and safe procedure.

Conclusion 

While being incredibly strong, our teeth are not immune from damage. Teeth bonding is an easy and effective procedure for fixing dental problems like chips, cracks, and even gaps between teeth. However, the process is more effective when the tooth is healthy, has no major injury, and you are happy with the color of your teeth. The process is quick, free of risks, and relatively inexpensive. However, you need to take good care of your oral hygiene and avoid biting on hard foods. Dark foods and beverages may also stain the bonding.