Dental Bonding in Atlanta
Give Your Smile a “Face Lift” With Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is a procedure that is used to make small, cosmetic changes to the front of a tooth. For a gentle “face lift,” as an alternative to lengthy cosmetic procedures, our dentists use bonding to repair cracks, chips and flaws and to whiten teeth.
With dental bonding, a tooth-colored resin material is applied to the surface of a tooth and hardened with a special light, which ultimately “bonds” the material to the tooth to restore or improve a person’s smile. Dental bonding can be a more affordable alternative to veneers, but porcelain veneers can provide a longer-lasting result.
Click here to see the advantages and disadvantages of Dental Bonding versus Porcelain Veneers.
What Conditions Can Dental Bonding Fix?
Dental bonding is an option that can be considered:
- To repair decayed teeth (composite resins are used to fill cavities)
- To repair chipped or cracked teeth
- To improve the appearance of discolored teeth
- To close spaces between teeth
- To make teeth look longer
- To change the shape of teeth
- As a cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings
- To protect a portion of the tooth’s root that has been exposed when gums recede
New Patient Cosmetic Consultation
The first step in any cosmetic procedure is to do a full examination of your teeth and mouth and then review the different options available to create a beautiful smile. Many cosmetic procedures can be done without cutting and with minimal preparation. Many of our procedures are very affordable, and all make a tremendous improvement in our patients’ smiles.
We offer a special New Patient Cosmetic Consultation to evaluate your teeth and gums and show you different ways you can improve your smile. We can take pictures of your teeth and, using cosmetic imaging software, manipulate them to show you how your smile would look using different procedures.
To make an appointment, call [phone] or click here to request an appointment online.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Dental Bonding
Advantages
Dental bonding is among the easiest and least expensive of cosmetic dental procedures. Unlike veneers and crowns, which are customized tooth coverings that must be manufactured in a laboratory, bonding usually can be done in one office visit unless several teeth are involved. Another advantage to bonding is that the least amount of tooth enamel is removed. Also, unless dental bonding is being performed to fill a cavity, anesthesia is usually not required.
Disadvantages
Although the material used in dental bonding is somewhat stain resistant, it does not resist stains as well as crowns. Another disadvantage is that the bonding materials do not last as long, nor are as strong as other restorative procedures such as crowns, veneers or fillings. Additionally, bonding materials can chip and break off of the tooth.
Due to the limitations of dental bonding, it is best suited for small cosmetic changes, for temporary correction of cosmetic defects and to correct very low bite pressure, as in front teeth. Porcelain veneers or CEREC® crowns are stronger, longer lasting and more resistant to stains.
Procedure For Having a Tooth Bonded
Preparation
Little advance preparation is needed for dental bonding. Anesthesia is not necessary unless the bonding is being used to fill a decayed tooth. Our dentists will use a shade guide to select a composite resin color that will closely match the color of your tooth.
The bonding process
Next, the surface of the tooth will be roughened and a conditioning liquid will be applied. These procedures help the bonding material adhere to the tooth. The tooth-colored, putty-like resin is then applied, molded and smoothed to the desired shape. An ultraviolet light or laser is used to harden the material. After the material is hardened, your dentist will further trim, shape, and polish the bonding to match the sheen of the rest of the tooth surface.
Time-to-completion
Dental bonding takes about 30 to 60 minutes per tooth to complete.
To make an appointment, call [phone] or click here to request an appointment online.