According to Martin Charnin, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” It’s the simplest way to light up a room. But do you feel confident in your smile?
According to recent statistics, 95% of Americans feel that oral health is important to their overall well-being. Further, 48% of adults worry that, as they get older, they will not have an attractive smile.
Dental patients often consider teeth bonding as a solution to repair teeth that are less than perfect. If you are showing the world those pearly whites when you smile, you want your teeth to reflect you. If you feel good on the inside, you want your teeth to look good on the outside.
Is teeth bonding right for you? Let’s dive into the details to help you make a well-informed decision.
Your Teeth are Important
Naturally strong teeth help you not only smile but chew your food. They are durable because of the enamel, which is one of the strongest parts you have in your body.
Despite the strength of your teeth, chipping a tooth can happen easily. It doesn’t have to be from anything earth-shattering. It can happen from a glass bottle or an ice cube.
If you struggle from tooth decay or bruxism, chipping your teeth is even more likely. To repair a chipped tooth and protect it from more damage, teeth bonding is an option.
What is Teeth Bonding?
Teeth bonding is what we refer to as cosmetic dentistry. It repairs teeth that are cracked, chipped, or broken. It can help with other teeth issues as well like:
- Discolored teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- Lengthening a tooth hat
The “bond” in tooth bonding is a composite resin. It takes over where your tooth broke.
The composite color is like the color of your teeth, unlike when you get a crown. It looks completely natural. The results are that you look good as new!
Teeth Bonding Benefits
The top benefit for most people is that it is a cost-effective solution to repair teeth and many dental insurance policies will cover it.
Second, it requires less time to complete a tooth bonding than it does to do a crown or veneer. It’s a simple procedure that is not a time constraint or requires multiple visits. One appointment and you’re done.
Another added benefit is that teeth bonding is safe. In the past, dentists would use silver fillings which could have a chemical leak after a while. This could cause damage to your body.
Teeth bonding comprises a material and composite that is biocompatible. It’s completely pure, with no harmful chemicals or substances.
Porcelain veneers can damage your enamel and you’ll need to replace them later. Not with bonding teeth, though. It doesn’t damage your teeth’s enamel, and it doesn’t need to be replaced.
Last, a benefit that people love is the aesthetics of tooth bonding. You can match the color of your teeth and it is an option for minor dental flaws.
We credit Miguel de Cervantes as saying that “Every tooth in a man’s head is more valuable than a diamond.” According to columbiadentistsc.com, even when bad things happen to your teeth, there is a way to make them better.
The Teeth Bonding Procedure
It’s an in- and out- procedure that rarely requires anesthesia. You would only need anesthesia if the tooth bonding transforms the shape of the tooth. Another reason would be if the tooth with the chip is close to a nerve and the work to bond it could be painful.
The first part of the process is matching the color of your tooth. Your dentist will choose the right composite resin color, using a chart to ensure they make the correct choice.
Next, the dentist preps the bond to your existing tooth. They’ll begin by creating a rough surface as it makes the liquid and the composite easier to stick to. Then, they’ll apply the bonding agent.
After this, your dentist will add the composite resin. He or she will mold it so that they can repair the damaged tooth. A UV light drives everything.
If you find that it doesn’t look perfect, that’s okay. After the resin dries, the dentist can still shape the tooth even further for you.
Caring for Bonded Teeth
Nothing will be as strong as your own natural teeth. Teeth bonding can repair it, but it is essential that you still take great care of it.
Avoid chewing on things that you shouldn’t chew on anyway, like a pen. You shouldn’t chew on ice cubes either. Hard foods can cause damage to a bonded tooth, and so can excessively eat a lot of candy.
These things aren’t good for natural teeth anyway, so it helps to avoid them. But if you have a history of breaking teeth, you should especially be cautious.
Resin does not resist stains in the long term as your natural enamel does. If you drink coffee and red wine, you are likely to encounter long-term discoloration. Smoking too can cause discoloration.
Another important point to keep in mind is that composite resin you cannot whiten, unfortunately. This means that if you stain your bond, you are stuck with it. You would have to replace it to fix the color issue.
Living a Healthy Life
We hope you learned a lot of valuable information on teeth bonding and why it’s a brilliant solution for repairing your pearly whites. We take great pride in giving you content that helps you live your best life with overall health and wellbeing.
Visit us again soon for some more critical tips to stay happy and healthy.