Dental Bonding

couple smilingYour smile says a lot about you, but if you have teeth that are chipped, broken, or gapped, or if you feel that your teeth appear too small, you may be embarrassed to show off your smile. With dental bonding, our dentists can repair these and many other complaints you may have about your smile. In short, dental bonding is the process of applying one or several layers of a composite resin to the surface of your teeth. This material is shaped and hardened to give your tooth a beautiful and durable new look. Dental bonding is a conservative approach to correcting a variety of tooth repairs, and we can do it in just one visit.

Benefits of Dental Bonding

Dental bonding is a popular and simple treatment that offers several benefits, some of which include:

  • Quick results
  • Conservative, non-invasive treatment
  • Applicable to one tooth or many

Dental bonding generally takes just one visit to be completed, whereas other restorations, such as dental veneers, take at least two.

Dental bonding can also be completed without removing much, if any, of your natural tooth. In most cases, our dentists simply rough up the outer surface of your tooth to ensure that the bonding resin properly adheres to your tooth. Bonding is also a less expensive alternative than other cosmetic procedures.

During your bonding procedure, our dentists can help repair one or several smile issues at the same time. Some of the concerns that bonding can address at once include:

  • Chipped teeth
  • Slightly broken teeth
  • Weakened enamel
  • Yellow or discolored teeth

While bonding offers several benefits, it may not be for everyone. Our team can work with you to determine whether this treatment will meet your smile goals.

Repairing Broken or Chipped Teeth

For minor chips or breaks, Dr. Umansky may recommend that you consider dental bonding. For this procedure, our dentists will apply one or several layers of the bonding composite (tooth-colored) resin to the chipped or broken area of the tooth. This builds up the missing portion of the tooth, restoring the tooth’s full shape and appearance. Next, we will add a protective layer on top of the resin, which will be hardened to resemble the strength and durability of your natural tooth. If your tooth has suffered a more severe break or crack, you may require a dental crown.

Closing Gaps Between Teeth

If you have a small gap between two of your teeth, dental bonding is a great option for closing that gap. To do this, our dentists will apply several layers of the composite resin to the surface of the tooth, making its overall shape and size slightly larger to fill in the gap. Once the desired size is achieved, the bonding resin will be cured so that it is hard and durable. If the gaps in your smile are too large for dental bonding, Dr. Umansky may recommend other cosmetic procedures, such as porcelain veneers or Invisalign®.

Whitening Teeth with Bonding

Dental Bonding

A common and popular reason for choosing dental bonding is to whiten yellowed or discolored teeth. This is particularly helpful if you have only one or a few teeth that you want whitened.

Before beginning your bonding treatment, our dentists may recommend that you first receive a professional teeth whitening treatment. This is because the bonding material can be made to more closely match your natural tooth color, and because any teeth that are not treated with bonding may appear to be duller or a different shade after treatment.

Disadvantages to Dental Bonding

While dental bonding is a great procedure that can repair several smile concerns, it is important to remember that there are tradeoffs when choosing a simpler treatment. While your newly bonded tooth may appear beautiful at the start, the bonding resin can loose its luster and polish over time, making your tooth appear duller than your natural enamel.

Bonding resin is also susceptible to becoming stained. If it does become stained, however, our dentists can polish the stains off.

Dental bonding, while strong, is not quite as strong as ceramic restorations. You cannot apply dental bonding to areas of the mouth where the teeth carry a strong bite force. Because of its slightly weaker state, bonding also does not last as long as ceramic restorations.

Getting Started

To learn more about dental bonding in Humble, Texas, or to schedule your appointment with our dental team, we invite you to contact Aesthetic Dentistry Associates today at 281-446-4700. Our team is happy to help our patients achieve healthier, more beautiful smile in any way.