Dental Bonding
HEALTH SERVICES BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
What Is Dental Bonding?
Do you have a minor tooth chip, discolouration, alignment problem or spacing problem in your teeth? The solution to that is quite simple! Most likely, all you need is a simple procedure of dental bonding. Dental Bonding is a form of adhesive dentistry where your dental professional applies a tooth-coloured resin, which is a plastic material, to a broken, crooked or wrongly spaced tooth to correct the position, size or shape of a tooth or set of teeth. The resin is bonded with the material of your tooth and helps improve the overall aesthetics of your smile. The adhesive materials used on dental bonding can stick to practically any material, whether it be enamel, dentin, metal, porcelain, ceramic or zirconia, all with a single application. This ensures that your fillings last for a long time.
Problems that Dental Bonding Can Address
Being one of the most simple procedures available to patients, dental bonding is the best solution to minor tooth problems that might include.
Slight chips to the tooth.
Dental bonding is used to replace the parts of your teeth that might have chipped off.
Slightly shorter teeth.
We can resort to dental bonding to lengthen the tooth and make it level with the others.
Slightly misaligned teeth.
Slight misalignment can be solved by “adding” to the teeth in a way that levels all of them.
Slightly spaced out teeth.
The spaces and crevices between teeth that
might be too far apart canbe compensated by tooth filling.
Slightly spaced out teeth.
The spaces and crevices between teeth that might be too far apart can be compensated by tooth filling.
Discoloured Teeth
Tooth discolouration can be corrected
if it doesn’t react to teeth whitening procedures.
Discoloured Teeth
Tooth discolouration can be corrected if it doesn’t react to teeth whitening procedures.
How Dental Bonding is Performed
This whole process will often last anywhere between thirty minutes to a full hour to complete. If you are having more than one tooth done, several schedules may be needed to fulfil the procedure.
One important note: Tea, coffee, cigarette smoke and many other substances can add unwanted stains to the resin material. So to prevent stains, it’s highly recommended that patients avoid eating or drinking foods that can stain for the first 48 hours after any composite procedure.
CHECK FOR SUITABILITY
The first thing that our dentist will do is determine whether the procedure can be done to your teeth. If your problem is more serious, your dentist may suggest a more advanced treatment. Advanced tooth decay on certain parts of your teeth could also be another hindrance to your treatment so this step is extremely vital to ensure the success of the bonding.
CHECK FOR SUITABILITY
The first thing that our dentist will do is determine whether the procedure can be done to your teeth. If your problem is more serious, your dentist may suggest a more advanced treatment. Advanced tooth decay on certain parts of your teeth could also be another hindrance to your treatment so this step is extremely vital to ensure the success of the bonding.
CHOOSE THE SHADE
Once you’re cleared for the procedure, your dentist will then choose the shade of material that will match with your current set of teeth most to ensure the filling looks as natural as possible. You can work with your dentist to choose a colour which you desire! We love working with our patients, as this always gives you a result you are happy with.
ABRADE THE SURFACE
After choosing the color, your dentist will then abrade or etch the surface to make it rougher so that the adhesive bonds well with your teeth. This procedure is practically painless and doesn’t require any anesthesia or sedative. The tooth is then coated with a conditioning liquid that helps with the bonding strength.
APPLICATION OF RESIN
When your tooth or set of teeth are ready, your dentist will then apply the resin, which is then molded and smoothened to the proper shape. A blue ultraviolet light is exposed to the resin to harden it. Once hardened, your dentist will then shape, polish and trim it further to give your smile that polished look.
CHOOSE THE SHADE
Once you’re cleared for the procedure, your dentist will then choose the shade of material that will match with your current set of teeth most to ensure the filling looks as natural as possible. You can work with your dentist to choose a colour which you desire! We love working with our patients, as this always gives you a result you are happy with.
ABRADE THE SURFACE
After choosing the color, your dentist will then abrade or etch the surface to make it rougher so that the adhesive bonds well with your teeth. This procedure is practically painless and doesn’t require any anesthesia or sedative. The tooth is then coated with a conditioning liquid that helps with the bonding strength.
APPLICATION OF RESIN
When your tooth or set of teeth are ready, your dentist will then apply the resin, which is then molded and smoothened to the proper shape. A blue ultraviolet light is exposed to the resin to harden it. Once hardened, your dentist will then shape, polish and trim it further to give your smile that polished look.
Dental Bonding and Porcelain Veneers: What Are the Differences?
Some of the most common questions we get asked a lot are those pertaining to the differences between Dental Bonding and Porcelain Veneers. While they mainly serve the same purpose, there are a lot of differing traits and factors between both. Here are just a few.
| Dental Bonding | Porcelain Veneers | |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetics | Good aesthetics | Excellent aesthetics, they are custom made and artistically crafted by a highly skilled ceramist |
| Correction capability | Great for correcting minor aesthetic flaws | Able to correct most aesthetic flaws |
| Durability | Can last up to 5 years | Lasts more than 10 years |
| Tendency to chip | More susceptible to chipping | Less susceptible to chipping |
| Tendency to discolour or get stained | Susceptible to staining, regular maintenance required | Does not discolour over time |
| Cost | Cheaper short-term alternative | A long-lasting investment> |
| Time of Treatment | Relatively shorter and can be done in one visit if changes are minor | Relatively longer and will always require more than one visit. |
Maintenance of Dental Bonding
Compared to other more high-end forms of cosmetic dentistry, dental bonding can be more susceptible to staining or chipping. We recommend that patients take special care of bonded teeth to keep it looking natural and healthy for a long period of time.
Here are some tips that we recommend our Melbourne patients follow to take care of dental bonding:
Reduce the intake of coffee, tea or red wine as these are very much known to cause stains on resin material.
If you’re a smoker, it would be highly advised that you quit. This can actually be a good solution not just to the upkeep of your dental bonding, but to your overall dental and respiratory health as well.
Avoid biting or chewing on hard objects such as nails, ice, pens and so on.
Make it a point to be religious about follow up check ups with the dentist. Also, if you feel that there’s something wrong with your dental bonding or if your bite feels strange, book a visit with your dentist as soon as you can as a touch up might be required.
Why Dental Boutique For My Dental Bonding?
Outcome Based Work
We want you to focus on the results because that’s what we focus on as well. You pay for results and we bring you results. A brighter and whiter smile. That’s our desire.
Experience & Care
With more than 20 years of clinical dentistry experience, we will ensure your Dental Bonding experience is professional and relaxing at the highest level to achieve the best possible result for you.
High Success Rates & Rapid Results
You’re never going to be left in the dark with us. We take you throughout the whole journey and help you understand all that you would like to know to achieve a glowing smile.
Before & After Gallery
We have transformed thousands of smiles and improved the confidence of countless patients
Frequently Asked Questions
Dental bonding seems to mainly be about filling in small gaps between teeth to make a smile look more cohesive. Is there a width at which dental bonding simply isn’t the right thing any more?
Dental bonding is a cost-effective solution to filling small gaps between teeth, but as mentioned, it is only meant to fix minor gaps. There isn’t a set distance that we recommend when performing dental bonding to fix gaps as that will all depend on other factors such as the size of the tooth and the placement.
But as a good rule of thumb, the goal should be to make the teeth look natural still even with the filling. When we know it will look too wide or too awkward, it’s better off to try a different solution. You can visit the possibility of getting Invisalign or braces to correct major spacing issues.
Does slight crookedness still require some sort of braces or Invisalign which covers the entire row of teeth? Or are there smaller devices which can bring a couple of teeth closer together?
What’s the typical cost difference between Dental Bonding and Porcelain Veneers?
How long does the cosmetic smile assessment consultancy take, and how much does it cost?
The time it takes to assess someone’s dental needs and the cost attached to it can vary a lot depending on the severity of the case.
Comparing the suitability of dental bonding to porcelain veneers, what percentage of patients just need the dental bonding compared to the percentage of people who end up with porcelain veneers?
Since dental bonding is less permanent than porcelain veneers, do some patients come back to you saying they regret choosing it, and wishing they’d gone for the more permanent solution straight away?
Is there a particular age or demographic of people for whom dental bonding suits their budget?
Your before and after photos even for a relatively modest procedure like dental bonding are very pronounced. It looks like people are very willing and greatly enjoy being the faces of your procedure. Can a patient volunteer themselves to be included on this dental bonding page?
Does dental bonding also help to prevent tooth decay?
Is there any risk to tooth decay taking hold between the bonding substance and the tooth itself, eg especially if the condition you’re treating is tooth cracks? If so, can the patient do any maintenance that can reduce the risk of this happening, eg ensuring enough calcium in their diet?
Is there any painful aspect to tooth bonding, or is it plain sailing all the way?
Is tooth bonding a one-off application process, or does it have to be painted on so it gradually gets thicker over a few treatment sessions?
Can tooth bonding help with sensitive teeth?
Once the substance is applied and shaped, your dentist may use a special curing light to harden it. Is this light safe or is there a risk of burning? And how long does that part of the procedure take?
Have More Questions?
We invite you to experience our no obligation cosmetic smile assessment to help guide, educate and confirm if Dental Bonding is right for you. Our friendly and highly trained team are passionate and meticulous about creating beautiful and lasting smiles
Due to our extensive experience and knowledge, we would discuss all the different options available to you in your unique situation. We believe in supporting our clients in all the decision they make and tailor their treatment to suit each individual’s budget and lifestyle. Each member of our team is committed to serving you, so please don’t hesitate to ask us anything.
