Dental bonding is a procedure in your dentist will apply a tooth-colored, putty-like composite resin to a tooth to repair damage. If you have a tooth that is decayed, cracked, discolored, or chipped, dental bonding may be performed to rectify the issue.
When dental bonding is performed, your dentist will first use a shade guide to determine the color of composite resin that most closely matches the natural color of your teeth. Then, the affected tooth surface will be roughened before applying the liquid that will allow the bonding agent to stick to the tooth. Over the liquid, your dentist will apply the composite resin and will proceed to mold and shape the tooth. An ultraviolet light or laser light will be used to harden the material. If the tooth needs further shaping, this can be completed once the resin hardens. Finally, your dentist will then polish the surface of the tooth.
Dental bonding can be used to repair a variety of issues as discussed above. It can also be used when you want to increase the size of a tooth. If you happen to have a tooth that is shorter than the others, your dentist can use dental bonding to make that tooth the same length as the others.
Dental bonding is a fairly quick procedure that shouldn’t require any down time. In fact, in most cases you can resume your day as normal without any issues after the procedure. Generally, a dental bonding session may last thirty minutes to an hour.
There are no major risks to consider when you need a dental bonding procedure. One thing to remember is that the composite resin that is used in dental bonding is not as strong as your natural teeth. With that in mind, you will want to be careful when biting down on hard food or candy to avoid chipping the bonded tooth. Avoid bad habits like eating ice or biting your fingernails. Also remember that the resin used in dental bonding isn’t as resistant to stains as some other dental materials may be. If you happen to drink a lot of coffee or smoke, you may develop discoloration on that bonded area.
