What is Composite Teeth Bonding?
For those who need restorative or cosmetic dentistry like veneers or crowns, there is another less-expensive option – teeth bonding. This composite bonding involves quartz or silicon dioxide particles that are bound in place with hard, synthetic resin. This mixture is blended to closely match the shade of your existing enamel to make it almost indistinguishable from your real teeth. Teeth bonding can be used for the repair of a broken tooth, or to fill in gaps, cavities or chipped teeth. It can also be used to hide discolorations or spots.
Teeth bonding, unlike veneers or crowns that are created in a lab and then applied to the teeth, is applied directly to the teeth and shaped by the dentist to match the shape of the natural tooth. First, the enamel is roughened to give the composite a better surface to bond to. Then a bonding agent that’s like a clear glue is applied after the tooth surface is etched to make the surface even rougher. The composite is applied and shaped and then cured with a light to harden it.
The resins used to create teeth bonding start out as a thick paste that the dentist can apply and then shape and sculpt to match your teeth. This resin can then be polished and shined to closely match the reflective properties of your natural teeth. The paste is tinted to match the natural tooth color, and layers of resin may be used, in different shades, to closely match the appearance of the rest of the tooth and neighboring teeth.
Teeth bonding, if done improperly, can show and appear unnatural. Just because a dentist offers the procedure, that doesn’t mean he or she has the artistic ability to sculpt the material to convincingly match your teeth. Cosmetic teeth bonding is best done by a dentist who is specially trained in cosmetic dentistry and bonding. When done properly, cosmetic teeth bonding can look amazing and be impossible to distinguish from your natural teeth.
Even with properly done teeth bonding, there are some drawbacks. The material used in the bonding can stain and lose its shine. When the material is only present on part of a tooth it’s harder to notice than if you have had bonding to correct the appearance of several teeth. The most likely place for staining to occur is on the seam between the composite material and the natural tooth. This can usually be corrected with touch up bonding work that, like the original bonding, might not even require anesthetic. Teeth bonding is incredibly strong, and unlikely to break or wear so the best solution to staining is to have the bonding touched up or resurfaced.
Another possible drawback is tooth sensitivity. Because the enamel is degraded a little before the bonding, that raises the possibility of the teeth becoming more sensitive to touch and temperature. Fortunately, the sensitivity caused by teeth bonding usually fades after a few weeks. In cases where it doesn’t, a desensitizing agent can be recommended by your dentist to help eliminate the problem.
