| Services -
Cosmetic Dentistry: Bonding |
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| Introduction to Dental Bonding |
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| The dental bonding procedure utilizes a
composite resin and is used for a variety of
structural as well as cosmetic purposes. One can
draw a parallel between dental bonding materials and
a sculptor's clay. By using dental composite resin
bonding your dentist can restore chipped or broken
teeth, fill in gaps and reshape or recolor your
smile. |
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| What is Tooth Bonding? |
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| Bonding is a composite resin filling placed in
the back teeth as well as the front teeth.
Composites are the solution for restoring decayed
teeth, making cosmetic improvements and even
changing the color of your teeth or the reshaping of
teeth. Bonding will lighten any stains you may have,
close up minor gaps and can be used to correct
crooked teeth. Basically, bonding will cover any
natural flaws applying a thin coating of a plastic
material on the front surface of your teeth. After
this, your cosmetic dentist will apply a bonding
material and sculpt, color and shape it to provide a
pleasing result. A high-intensity light then hardens
the plastic, and the surface is finely polished. |
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| How long does Tooth Bonding last? |
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| While the traditional silver fillings last about
seven years, these composites should last about
seven to eleven years. |
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| How is Tooth Bonding Accomplished? |
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| A very mild etching solution is applied to your
teeth to create very small crevices in the tooth's
enamel structure. These small crevices provide a
slightly rough surface permitting a durable resin to
bond materials to your teeth. The resin is then
placed on your tooth and high-intensity light cures
the resins onto your tooth's surface - with each
individual layer of resin hardening in just minutes.
When the last coat has been applied to your tooth,
the bonded material is then sculpted to fit your
tooth and finely polished. |
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| The resin comes in many shades so that we can
match it to your natural teeth. Due to the layers
involved, this procedure will take slightly longer
than traditional silver fillings because multiple
layers of the bonding material are applied.
Typically bonding takes an hour to two hours
depending on your particular case. |
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| Types of Tooth Bonding Procedures |
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| There are two types of
bonding. What type is indicated in your situation
depends upon whether you have a small area or a
larger area that requires correction. |
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| For small corrections |
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| These are one appointment fillings which are
color-matched to the tooth and are bonded to the
surface for added strength. These are most
appropriate for small fillings and front fillings as
they may not be as durable for large fillings. |
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| For larger corrections |
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| Dental lab-created
tooth-colored fillings require two appointments and
involve making a mold of your teeth and placing a
temporary filling. A dental laboratory then creates
a very durable filling to custom-fit the mold made
from your teeth. These fillings are typically made
of porcelain. The custom-fit filling is then bonded
to your tooth on your return visit. This type is
even more natural looking, more durable and more
stain resistant. |
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| Who is a candidate for
tooth bonding? |
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| If you
have close, small gaps between your front teeth, or
if you have chipped or cracked teeth, you may be a
candidate for bonding. Bonding is also used for
patients who have discolored teeth, uneven teeth,
gum recession or tooth decay. Bonding material is
porous, so smokers will find that their bonding will
yellow. If you think you are a candidate for
bonding, discuss it with your dentist. |
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| Advantages & Disadvantages of Tooth Bonding
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| Advantages of dental bonding: |
| Esthetics is the big advantage over silver
fillings. As silver does not stick to teeth,
entirely healthy tooth structure is usually removed
to keep a silver filling in place. Composites permit
your cosmetic dentist to remove only the decayed
area of your tooth. Unlike silver fillings,
composite bonding expand just like your teeth and
are much less likely to cause cracks in your tooth.
Composites bond directly to the tooth providing
support. Composites can be used to fill in cracks,
chips and gaps - and will match the color of your
other teeth. |
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| Disadvantages of the dental bonding
procedures: |
| Bonding with composites simply costs more in
material and time. |
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