Dental Bonding
What Is Dental Bonding
Also called composite bonding, dental bonding is a time-honoured procedure designed to repair relatively minor tooth damage. This non-invasive process transforms the surface of teeth through the application of a specialised tooth-coloured resin solution. While primarily used for cosmetic reasons, bonding also serves a functional purpose. For example, if your gums recede too far and your tooth root is exposed.
Unlike porcelain veneers or implants, which are recommended for major dental reconstructions, bonding is recommended for minor repairs, such as a chipped tooth. Described as the most conservative dental cosmetic procedure, the treatment doesn’t alter much of the original tooth enamel.
Dental Bonding Uses
Our patients receive dental bonding for a variety of reasons; mostly for reconstructing minor imperfections. While some simply dislike the shape of a tooth, others wish to eliminate the visible signs of age, such as discolouration. Your dentist may recommend dental bonding to correct:
- Tooth Decay | Instead of using metal, or amalgam, fillings, the composite resin of bondings may be used to fill cavities. Its natural-looking colouration is practically invisible when used as a filling.
- Damaged Teeth | The most common use is to visually repair a cracked or chipped tooth.
- Colour Restoration | The resin material adjusts to match your natural teeth, which makes it an ideal option to cover discoloured teeth.
- Close Gaps | Gaps between teeth, also known as diastema, can disrupt the aesthetic appeal of your teeth. Bonding effectively closes gaps and creates a smooth, uniform appearance.
- Reshape Teeth | The flexibility of bonding makes it suitable to adjust the width, length and physical shape of teeth
Dental Bonding Procedure
Dental bonding is a relatively swift with minimal downtime. In fact, many patients have no dedicated recovery time, which makes it ideal if you live a busy, active life. The process is minimally invasive and is completed right here in our practice.
During the procedure, you can expect:
- The area is numbed with a local anaesthetic. However, not all procedures require an anaesthetic injection.
- A rubber dam, which is small sheet of plastic, is positioned in your mouth to keep the tooth dry. No saliva can be present as moisture affects the composite material.
- Your tooth is cleaned to remove debris, such as food, tartar or decay.
- A phosphoric-acid-based gel is carefully applied to the tooth, which prepares its surface by giving it a rough texture. Once the appropriate texture is achieved, your dentists applies a thin layer of a bonding agent, which is a special type of adhesive. Once thoroughly coated, the glue is “set” with a narrow beam of ultraviolet light.
- Once set, the composite resin mixture is applied in multiple layers. Each layer is set using the concentrated UV light beam. This layer-by-layer process ensures the ideal shape and size is met.
- Finally, the surface is polished and excess material is removed.
Restore Your Confidence
If you have chipped, cracked, discoloured or damaged teeth, you have options. At Smile Gallery Dental Clinic, we believe everyone deserves a smile they can be proud of. While many dentists in Box Hill offer dental bonding, few deliver this procedure with the level of professionalism, compassion and skill as our team of dental professionals.
Call (03) 9899 0288 and let’s begin the process of restoring your teeth, your smile and your confidence!
Achieve The Oral Health You Desire!
Book Online
Have Some Questions?
Do you offer Invisalign?
Considered the next generation of orthodontic correction, we’re proud to offer patients the state-of-the-art Invisalign treatment. Not sure if it’s the best choice for you? Book your free new patient orthodontic consultation today!
How important are routine cleanings?
Extremely important. Routine visits keep your teeth looking great, but also assist in early detection of serious complications, such as tooth decay or even oral cancer.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We currently accept the following payment methods: cash, credit card and government vouchers, such as CBDS, DVA and TAC.