Tooth Bonding – A Quick, Efficient Path To A Better Smile
While good manners dictate that you should not wear white on some occasions (another woman’s wedding, a funeral), a white smile is always appropriate!
In some cases, we are not gifted with perfect teeth and cosmetic help is needed to acquire that shining white smile we all desire.
Tooth bonding is one of the dental procedures that can help some patients achieve the smile of their dreams.
Before deciding if it’s appropriate for you, however, consider these questions about the procedure’s result: How long does tooth bonding last? Every dental procedure has its own lifespan, and it is important that patients are aware of that before they begin any treatment.
To help you completely understand dental bonding, EK Dental Surgery shares the following information on how bonding can help your smile, the tooth bonding process itself, and what you can do to extend the lifespan of your tooth bonding.
How can Tooth Bonding Help your Smile?
Tooth bonding can be used to:
- Hide cracks in the teeth
- Close spaces or gaps between the teeth
- Restore broken or chipped teeth
- Lengthen small teeth
- Restore decayed teeth
- Restore worn teeth
- Change the color of natural teeth
- Protect teeth from further damage
- Whiten teeth that are too stained or too dark
Time and Tooth Bonding
Time to prepare. Tooth bonding does not require much advanced planning. In addition, anesthesia is often not needed unless bonding is used to fill a decayed tooth.
The bonding process. Your Glen Waverley dentist will use their shade guide (it contains samples of each of the different colors of bonding materials) to select the proper composite resin — a durable plastic material — that closely matches the color of your tooth. The surface of the tooth is cleaned, trimmed, roughened and an acidic conditioning liquid is applied to help the bonding substance stick to the tooth.
A dentist will now paint or dab the “bonding agent” onto the tooth. Then the tooth-colored, putty-like resin material is applied, molded, and smoothed to the desired shape on the tooth. Next, the resin is hardened with a curing light (about 10 to 20 seconds), which “bonds” the material to the surface of the tooth. Finally, your dentist will trim, shape, and polish the bonded material to match the gloss of the rest of the tooth/teeth.
The procedure takes about 30 to 60 minutes per tooth to complete.
Durability and Care of Bonded Teeth
The lifespan of bonded teeth ranges from several years to over a decade. Your contribution to an extended lifespan for your bonding is to follow good oral hygiene practices.
Good oral hygiene means to practice 2×2 tooth-brushing (twice a day for at least two minutes), floss at least once a day, and visit EK Dental regularly.
Because bonding material can chip, it is important to avoid such habits as biting fingernails; chewing on pens, ice or other hard food objects; or using your bonded teeth as an opener. If you do notice any sharp edges on a bonded tooth or if your tooth feels odd when you bite down, call your dentist.
Also, bonding materials, like your teeth, are susceptible to staining, so stay away from foods that stain teeth including dark beverages and acidic food and drinks. Smoking also causes stains to bonded teeth, as do other tobacco products.
While there cannot be an exact answer as to how durable a bonded tooth will be, with good care it is not unreasonable to expect up to a decade of use.
Optimise your Oral Health at EK Dental Surgery
EK Dental Surgery offers a wide range of preventative and cosmetic dental procedures that will help you achieve the smile of your dreams! EK Dental Surgery is conveniently located on Springvale Road in Glen Waverley.
Our Special Offers
At EK Dental Surgery, our goal is to make quality dental care affordable. We encourage you to take advantage of our latest offers. To discover more, visit our special offers page today!
Book your appointment online or call us on (03) 9887 8787.
