What is Dental Bonding?

Dental bonding at Michael Drone Dentistry is a dental treatment where material is applied directly to the teeth to either attach a prosthetic or fix a chipped, cracked, or discolored tooth. You may be surprised to hear that you have probably already received bonding treatment at one point or another. This is because dental bonding is often performed in conjunction with other dental procedures. The treatment gets its name because either a composite material, or additional adhesive material is applied and bonded to the teeth.  Below is more information about the dental bonding procedure.

When is Dental Bonding Used?

Today, dental bonding treatment is one of the most popular and cost-efficient cosmetic treatments performed by dentist. There are two common dental bonding approaches used to fix chips, cracks, or the appearance of teeth. For an experienced dentist, composite dental bonding is a popular and effective way to improve the appearance of any smile. For this approach, a composite putty is applied and shaped to improve the shape or color of teeth, or to minimize the space between teeth. Sometimes composite is used as a filler to protect the root of the tooth when it becomes exposed due to receding gums. For the adhesive bonding approach, an etchant, or bonding adhesive, is used to attach material to the teeth. This type of bonding is the more common approach used for the attachment of veneers, bridges, and crowns.

In general, no preparation is needed for dental bonding treatment which means dentists will often decide to use bonding during a routine dental visit.

The Steps

As mentioned, dental bonding treatment is quick, efficient, and requires very little preparation. The treatment steps will vary slightly depending on the dental bonding approach being used. While every procedure is a bit different, and the treatment is usually combined with other treatments, here are the common steps to the dental bonding treatment:

  • Preparation: First, the dentist will use a shade guide to match the composite material color to the natural teeth color. Once the composite is selected, the dentist will prepare the surface of the teeth to help the material adhere, whether it is the composite or the etchant that is applied. This is either done by gently scratching the surface of the tooth or using a liquid coating agent.
  • Bonding application: This step will differ widely depending on which type of dental bonding is occurring. The dentist will either apply the tooth-colored composite putty and mold and shape it to the tooth. Or the dentist will apply the etchant and the additional materials.
  • Sealing: The last step is always the securing of the bonding materials using a laser or an ultraviolet light.

Overall, the entire bonding process takes about 30 minutes up to an hour to complete.

There are very few risks associated with the dental bonding procedure. However, it is important to be aware that composite bonding results are not as strong as a natural tooth. Chewing on hard objects, such as ice, plastic, or hard candy may cause the bonding to chip. In general, if you take good care of your teeth the bonding can last several years before any repair is necessary.

More on Dental Bonding : Fix Gaps in Teeth With Dental Bonding

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Our office is conveniently located in Valparaiso, IN. Many of our patients are from the surrounding Northwest Indiana areas: Valparaiso, Chesterton, Portage, Hobart, Merrillville, Schererville, Kouts, Highland, Munster, La Porte, Michigan City, South Bend, and Crown Point. Patients also travel from Chicago, Ohio and Southwest Michigan.