If you’re a fan of rom-coms or dramas, this scene might be familiar: before the big dance or life-changing board meeting occurs, some ill-luck strikes our protagonist and they break a tooth! Well, they say life imitates art and any dentist worth their salt has not only dealt with this issue but can also resolve it within an hour.
How? With cosmetic bonding!
This miraculous procedure goes by several names including cosmetic bonding, dental bonding, or tooth bonding. It is also versatile, allowing dental professionals to repair damage to a tooth, enhancing a smile’s aesthetics, or even offering extra protection to teeth.
What Is Dental Bonding?
Cosmetic bonding is a biocompatible resin that our dentists will apply to your tooth. This material will adhere to your tooth and can be shaped in a variety of ways to improve dental health and enhance your smile. Many times it is performed quite comfortably without numbing!
Why Would I Need Cosmetic Bonding?
Cosmetic bonding is one of the quickest and least complicated dental procedures available. The vast majority of cosmetic bonding can be completed in less than an hour, making it an ideal treatment for dental emergencies like chipped teeth or a quick smile improvement before a family photo!
So when picturing your ideal smile, whether that means a whiter, fuller, or fracture-free smile, dental bonding can provide just that. All in a single visit, letting you enjoy your pearly whites faster than ever!
What Can Cosmetic Bonding Correct?
If one or more of the following conditions apply to your smile, then cosmetic bonding is certainly a procedure you want to discuss with our dentist:
Diastema: This condition causes gaps between your teeth. Cosmetic bonding can easily provide a fuller and more beautiful smile, but the benefits don’t end there. By eliminating these gaps, there is an increased protection against gum disease because bacteria has fewer places to access the gums.
Damaged Teeth: Chipped, cracked, or fractured teeth can be a ticking time bomb when it comes to your dental health, not to mention unsightly. The tooth bonding resin can cover this damage and even be shaped to match your natural teeth, providing you with a functional and great looking replacement!
Discoloration: If your diet includes foods with high tannin content (such as coffee and wine), sometimes tooth whitening procedures won’t provide you with the shade you want. However, that isn’t an issue with cosmetic bonding as the resin goes over your natural teeth, providing a new, natural color that is also stain resistant.
What Is the Dental Bonding Process?
- Preparation: Unlike veneers, cosmetic bonding requires no enamel removal and is an in-house procedure even if multiple teeth require treatment. We’ll begin the process by “roughing” the desired teeth, which makes the bonding adhere better to the teeth.
- Adherence Agent: Once this step is completed, our dentist will apply a liquid agent called conditioning fluid to your teeth. This reacts with the bonding resin itself, ensuring that it gets the strongest grip possible.
- Bonding: After the conditioning fluid is applied, the bonding resin is placed against your tooth and can be shaped as desired; it can fill a tooth gap, elongate a shortened tooth, cover fractures in a tooth, whatever you agree with our dentist on beforehand.
- Final Touches: Finally, once the bonding resin has been trimmed and smoothed so it will look and feel like a natural tooth, a UV light will be used on the cosmetic resin. This light will cause it to harden and adhere to your tooth permanently.
And voila! You now have a cosmetically bonded smile that you will be proud to show off. And if your teeth’ new glamor doesn’t get you grinning, the peace of mind that comes with the procedure certainly will; dental bonding can last for years.
Contact Us Today for Your Cosmetic Dentistry Needs
If you are looking for cosmetic dentistry to help you feel extra confident in your smile, experienced dental professionals are a must. Residents of San Diego, CA, know this, which is why they have entrusted their dental health to Hill and Schneidmiller DDS for over thirty years.
Find out how dental bonding can improve your smile. Call Hill and Schneidmiller DDS today. From tooth whitening to cosmetic bonding, a beautiful smile is only a consultation away.
