Teeth Bonding

Teeth bonding can be used to treat a variety of dental problems. People with teeth that are chipped, crooked, cracked, stained and gapped can all benefit from bonding and this sort of treatment is sometimes even used to repair teeth that have been damaged due to decay. ﾠ

In the past few years bonding has also become a popular alternative to silver amalgam fillings, which most people consider to be ugly and out of date.

The actual procedure involves having an etching solution applied to the teeth that creates slight grooves in them that facilitates the application of resin layers. Composite resin is applied in coats and each coat is hardened immediately with a high-intensity light. Layers of resin are applied until a desired thickness is reached and then the teeth are sculpted and polished.

There are two types of bonding available and the severity of each patient's dental problem will inevitably determine which sort of procedure will benefit them most.

Smaller, less severe problems may only require one trip to the dentist but larger problems may involve two or more appointments. Generally the initial appointment for extensive bonding involves having a mold made of your teeth. This mold then is sent to a dental laboratory so that a customized filling can be fabricated. The following appointment typically involves having the customized filling bonded to your teeth and sculpted down until it looks natural.

During dental bonding the objective is to create natural look and feel, so not only are teeth sculpted and buffed to look and feel great, the resin material used for bonding is also matched exactly to a person's natural tooth color so there is no way to tell where the natural tooth ends and the bonded material begins.

If you think that you might benefit from having your teeth bonded you should keep in mind that some insurance companies will pay for this dental treatment especially if your teeth have been causing you discomfort. Having insurance that will cover tooth bonding can be extremely beneficial considering that the treatment can cost anywhere between $200 and $1000 per tooth.

So if you have spent years living with chipped, cracked, damaged teeth that have wiped the smile off your face, it might be time that you look into tooth bonding. Once you explore this treatment you will see that it's an incredibly quick, painless and easy way to repair your teeth and revive your smile.