Bonding is an alternative to veneers that can be used to restore teeth that are discoloured, chipped, cracked, or misarranged.

Bonding can significantly improve the appearance of a tooth and can usually be done in a single office visit. Dental Bonding uses a special soft composite resin which can be hardened in an instant, by high intensity light. Whilst in this state we can sculpt and mould it over the affected tooth. When the desired shape is achieved we harden it in place.

The greatest benefit of Dental Bonding is that the shade, translucency and texture of your natural teeth can be matched, meaning your oral restoration will actually enhance the appearance of your smile.

The Procedure

During your appointment, your Dentist will firstly prepare the tooth for Bonding by lightly etching the surface, and coating the tooth with a bonding liquid. Once the liquid has set, then the dentist applies a composite (plastic) resin and sculpts it into the desired shape. When the resin has set, it is trimmed and polished to a natural appearance.

Considerations

As plastic is not as strong as tooth enamel, it can be chipped, broken, and is more likely to pick up stains than natural teeth. Bonding usually lasts about five years before needing repair. However, one of the big advantages of bonding is that it is almost always a totally reversible treatment. No drilling or grinding of the tooth surfaces are usually required to prepare a tooth for bonding, which means that it keeps all your options open for other types of treatment later on.