Your oral health not only plays an important role in your physical health, but it also can affect your mental well-being. If you’re self-conscious about your teeth, you may experience lower self-esteem.
The good news is that cosmetic dentistry can correct many of the issues that may affect your smile. Dental bonding is an incredibly popular procedure that can dramatically improve the look of your teeth.
Read on to learn all about the benefits of dental bonding.
A Background on Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is the process of applying resin to front teeth in order to improve their appearance. It can completely change the size, shape, and color of a tooth.
The dental bonding procedure starts with picking out a resin color. Your dentist will help you choose one that closely matches your other teeth.
After you’ve chosen a resin, the dentist can prepare your tooth for bonding. To start, they’ll need to roughen the enamel of your tooth. This helps the composite stick to it.
They’ll also apply a cleaning agent and a bonding agent.
Once the tooth is prepared, they’ll place the resin material over the tooth and sculpt it into your preferred shape.
The final step is to set the bonding material with light. This helps give it strength and ensures it stays attached to your tooth.
It can take up to an hour to bond one tooth. You’ll likely need multiple appointments if you want to correct multiple teeth.
Benefits of Dental Bonding
Dental bonding has plenty of incredible benefits. It’s one of the most common procedures in cosmetic dentistry for good reason.
You’re sure to be pleased with the results.
Naturally Improved Appearance
Many people pursue dental bonding because they’re unhappy with the look of their teeth. Bonding represents a great way to get natural-looking results.
Your dentist will ensure that they use a resin material that is nearly indistinguishable from the color of your natural teeth. Other people won’t be able to notice a difference.
Once set, the resin is smooth and quite strong. It’ll feel just like your other teeth.
With your new look, you’ll flash a smile to everyone you meet.
Whiten Your Teeth
Many people who are concerned about the color of their teeth pursue dental bonding. Your eating and oral care habits may leave you with stained teeth that don’t respond well to typical whitening procedures.
If this is an issue you’re dealing with, dental bonding is an excellent alternative to bleaching. Your dentist will help you pick out a shade you find aesthetically pleasing.
Fix Damaged Teeth
A crack in a tooth can be cause for alarm. You might be hesitant to smile wide and it can easily get worse, resulting in a chipped tooth.
Dental bonding is an effective way to repair cracks. The resin fills in the crack, adding needed strength to your tooth.
If a chip forms, bonding can also correct the issue. Your dentist will make use of a technique called contouring to reshape your tooth.
Alternative to Veneers
Veneers can also improve your smile, but the process is much more costly and time-consuming. You’ll have to dedicate time for multiple appointments, and living with veneers can take a while to get used to.
On the other hand, dental bonding can take less than an hour, won’t affect your lifestyle, and costs much less. You’ll be back to normal shortly after the bonding procedure.
Improve Oral Hygiene
After bonding, it may be easier to care for your teeth. Cleaning damaged teeth is difficult, so your regular oral care routine can be much more effective.
The procedure can remove many of the areas that harbor food debris and plaque, which leads to tooth decay and cavities. This also means that you can reduce your risk of developing conditions like gingivitis that can affect your overall health.
Completely Safe
Dental bonding is a totally safe procedure. The resin your dentist uses is entirely biocompatible, meaning it won’t negatively affect the health of your teeth or body in any way.
The bond also creates a seal with your tooth. You won’t have to worry about bacteria making its way into your affected tooth and causing an infection.
Retain Your Natural Tooth Structures
Other kinds of cosmetic dentistry involve filing or extracting your existing teeth. For example, veneers require grinding down and etching on the surface of your natural teeth. Dentures require extractions.
With dental bonding, your dentist will typically just roughen the surface of your tooth. You’ll retain most of the structure of your original teeth.
Mostly Painless
Due to the fact that dental bonding is a minimally-invasive procedure, many patients report feeling very little pain during the process. You might not even need local anesthesia if you’re only having one tooth bonded.
Post-Treatment Considerations
Dental bonding is much less demanding than other kinds of cosmetic dentistry, but you’ll still need to keep a few key things in mind after your treatment.
The first is that the resin used in bonding isn’t as stain-resistant as the porcelain material used in other procedures. You should try to avoid foods and drinks that could stain your dental work.
You’ll also have to keep an eye out for chips. The resin can chip if you bite down on hard surfaces like your fingernails or certain kinds of food.
Aside from that, continuing to follow good oral hygiene practices like teeth cleaning and flossing is all you need to do to keep your dental bonds in good condition.
Dental Bonds from Versailles Family Dentistry
Dental bonding offers patients a quick and easy way to improve their smiles. It can be used to correct damage and whiten teeth all while looking and feeling just like a natural tooth.
It’s also relatively pain-free, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Ready to correct your teeth with dental bonds? Your Versailles Family Dentist is here to help. Our talented team is committed to your dental care.
Give us a call at (859) 873-4451 to schedule an appointment today.