A perfect set of teeth is one of the best gifts from nature. Not only do they enhance confidence and give us the freedom to smile uninhibitedly, but they also affect our quality of life.
Everyone knows the value of a perfect set of teeth but not all are blessed with it. While a few people have major oral conditions, some have minor dental problems such as chipped, cracked, and decayed teeth.
In the latter case, some dentistry treatments such as dental bonding can help. Dental bonding is a procedure, which entails applying a tooth-colored composite resin material to a tooth to enhance its strength and appearance. This blog post discusses dental bonding in detail and will help you know many things about the procedure.
The step-by-step dental bonding procedure
Dental bonding is a fairly simple procedure with about four key steps. They’re discussed in detail.
1. Target tooth preparation: In the very first stage, the tooth with some problem is prepared for dental bonding. In most cases, anesthesia isn’t used as the process is painless. Some cases, however, require the use of anesthesia.
2. Selection of the right color: The composite resin material comes in a wide range of colors to match different shades of the tooth. In the second stage, the dentist will select the right color to match the color of the rest of your teeth.
3. Roughening of the tooth: In this stage, a gentle conditioning liquid (phosphoric acid) is applied to the affected tooth’s surface. This will make the tooth’s enamel rougher and will enable the resin to stick to it properly.
4. Bonding process: The composite resin, which is normally a putty-like material, is applied to the tooth. After that, the dentist will shape and sculpt the resin to fix the main dental problem. Then it’ll be hardened with an ultraviolet light or laser and polished for a smooth finish.
What problems does dental bonding fix?
At its heart, dental bonding is a cosmetic dentistry procedure that’s used to correct minor oral problems such as:
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1. Gaps between teeth: Dental bonding can close both small and large gaps between teeth. It can last several years, even a decade, and doesn’t need a patient to go for separate teeth realignment procedures.
2. Small cavities and decayed teeth: Composite resins can fill up cavities resulting from tooth decay. Apart from repairing, dental bonding can restore the previous look of decayed and cavity-filled teeth.
3. Chipped, cracked, or broken teeth: Dental bonding can easily and efficiently restore chipped, cracked, or broken teeth after the dentist complete molding and bonding a composite resin on the missing part of a tooth.
4. Discolored teeth: The composite resin material is bonded on discolored teeth surfaces, which restores the natural white color without increasing sensitivity resulting from teeth bleaching. Read Also : teeth aligners
5. Receded gums: The composite resin can safeguard the root, which gets exposed after gums recede far away from teeth.
How expensive is dental bonding and how long can it last?
The cost of dental bonding ranges between $300 and $600 for each tooth. The average cost is around $400.
As per the Cleveland Clinic, bonding materials can last between three and ten years. After that, you will need to visit your dentist regularly to maintain or replace the affected areas. Read Also : clear aligners cost
Oral care tips after a dental bonding procedure
Even though dental bonding is an extremely low-maintenance process, you just need to take some basic care at least for the first few days following the procedure. Here are a few ways to take care teeth braces:
- Reduce tea, coffee, and red wine.
- If you’re a smoker, quit smoking completely.
- Don’t bite nails or chew on hard edibles or objects.
- Call your dentist immediately if you experience a strange sensation in your teeth or feel some change in their shape or texture.
Pros and Cons of Dental Bonding
Like all dental procedures, dental bonding has its share of pros and cons. Let’s discuss the pros of dental bonding first.
1. Enhanced tooth appearance
As dental bonding is a cosmetic dentistry procedure, it enhances tooth appearance by leaps and bounds. The tooth-colored composite resin materials can improve the appearance of broken, chipped, cracked, or discolored teeth and can give natural color to the teeth.
2. Painless and non-invasive procedure
Dental bonding is a painless and non-invasive procedure that involves no surgery or application of anesthesia. In the process, the tooth is roughened and the bonding material is applied, shaped, and hardened.
3. Cost-effective and huge value for money
Dental bonding is far more cost-effective and affordable compared to crowns and veneers. The average cost of dental bonding ranges between $300 and $600 for each tooth. As the bonding fixes dental problems, it prevents additional damages and eliminates the need for costly procedures in the future.
4. Easy to take care
One of the great news about dental bonding is they’re extremely easy to maintain and don’t need any special care. You simply need to practice healthy dental hygiene and oral care after the procedure. Simply brush your teeth two times every day using a soft-bristle toothbrush and floss once daily, and you don’t need to worry about anything else.
5. Speedy procedure
Ever wondered how much time the entire procedure will take? The time taken to complete the procedure will amaze you. Dental bonding usually needs just one visit to the dentist and the total process takes no longer than 60 minutes per tooth.
6. Simple and easy process
Dental bonding is a fairly simple and easy process. Like some other dental procedures, it doesn’t require anesthesia and needs the minimum amount of enamel removal than veneers and crowns.
In addition to the six pros, dental bonding also has its limitations. Let’s discuss the cons of dental bonding.
1. Less durable
An average dental bonding has lower longevity compared to several dental procedures. It can last between three and ten years, which is lower than an average veneer’s durability of five to ten years and an average crown’s lifespan of ten to fifteen years.
2. Material can easily stain
The resin material used in dental bonding is porous and can easily stain and become discolored by tea, coffee, cigarette smoke, red wine, and other edibles with strong colors. This can make the bonded tooth stand out from the rest of the teeth.
3. Unsuitable for major or more complex dental problems
As dental bonding is a cosmetic dentistry procedure, it’s unsuitable for major or more complex dental problems. It can’t replace a missing tooth but can only fix some minor dental problems such as gaps between teeth or cracked and chipped teeth.
Summing up
Dental bonding is a cosmetic dental procedure that’s suitable for minor dental problems such as chipping, cracking, and breaking of teeth. As the procedure requires specialized skills, expertise, and experience, you need to select a dentist who has relevant experience.