Teeth Bonding

What is Teeth Bonding or Dental Bonding?

Teeth Bonding or dental bonding is a dental procedure where the dentist applies customized tooth-colored resin to the tooth using adhesives, which is then hardened or cured using blue light. It gets its name because materials are bonded on to the tooth. The dentist will usually recommend this cosmetic procedure usually to conceal small flaws and
imperfections of the teeth by bonding materials to the teeth and improving its aesthetics. However, dental bonding can be considered as treatment for the following conditions that also falls under pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics and orthodontics.

When to do a Teeth Bonding?

• To mend chipped or cracked teeth
• Rectifying tooth shape and size
• Restore decayed tooth
• Better appearance of stained teeth
• Repair fractured tooth
• Rectify alignment
• Protect exposed tooth root due to gum recession

Advantages of Teeth Bonding

• Most prevalent and cheaper cosmetic dental procedure
• Painless procedure that does not need anaesthesia
• Material used can be shaped and polished to look like the surrounding teeth
• Can be done in least number of dental visits
• Does not require removal of tooth enamel

Disadvantages

• Materials used for bonding not as strong as the original teeth and requires care
• Requires regular maintenance and repair
• Its stain resistant ability is not as efficient as dental crowns.

Teeth Bonding Procedure

This Dental Bonding procedure has three main stages as below:

• Preparation

The dentist will initially consult the patient and then examine the patient’s teeth and then determine whether dental bonding is necessary. This procedure does not require any prior preparation and is a simple and quick procedure. Anesthesia is not usually required for cosmetic purposes unless it is used for filling a decayed tooth. A shade guide is used to determine the shade of the tooth resin, which closely resembles the natural shade of the tooth.

• Bonding Process

The dentist will initially roughen the tooth’s surface by etching. Then, microscopic pores on the tooth’s surface are created using a mild solution, which will provide better adherence of the bonding material. When the tooth is ready, a small amount of putty like resin is applied to the patient’s tooth, which is then shaped and contoured to the right shape. Once this resin has been smoothened to the desired shape, the bonding material is cured or hardened by using high intensity blue light.

• Final Stage

The dentist will then perform a final check on the dental symmetry as well as the bite alignment of the tooth and then finalize the appearance to the patient’s satisfaction. The procedure for a single tooth usually takes 30 to 60 minutes to finish, if there is more than one tooth, further appointments might be
scheduled.

Post Dental Implant Procedure

The patient has to perform similar routine care for the bonded as usually done for the original teeth, by following the right oral hygiene habits, like:

• Brushing and flossing at least twice a day
• Regular and periodic visits to the dentist
• Avoid biting on hard items or food like nails, chewing on pens, ice to prevent damage to the teeth
  
  
  
  

Authored By Dr Sanjay N - Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics, Bangalore