Four Things You Should Know Before Getting a Dental Bonding Treatment

Dental bonding is a non-invasive treatment that has cosmetic and therapeutic uses. It involves applying composite resin – made with mixtures of plastic and glass – to the patient’s tooth. These composites can be shaped and molded as desired, allowing the dentist to address issues like decay or damage to a tooth. Composite resins can be matched with the color of a patient’s teeth and used to hide stains and discoloration.

Important things you should know before getting dental bonding

Dental bonding is a pain-free procedure that can be completed in as little as 45 minutes for each tooth being repaired. Thinking about giving it a try? Here are some things you should go over when making a decision:

1. Composite restorations cannot be whitened

Dentists can match the color of the composite being used with the color of the patient’s real teeth, but there is no way to whiten the composite past its original color. That means patients should be happy with the color of their teeth before getting repairs with composites.

Patients who are also considering getting teeth whitening treatments should complete those and get their teeth to the desired shade of white before having any teeth restored with composite. That way, they don’t end up with composite restorations that are darker than their newly whitened teeth.

2. Composites have their limitations

Composites can be used to reshape and rebuild how a tooth looks, but they are not the best option if a person is displeased with how most of their teeth look. Veneers are a better alternative in that scenario since they can be used to alter the shape and length of the patient’s visible teeth, giving them the smile they have always wanted. Composites are better suited for restoring one or a few damaged teeth.

3. Teeth grinding damages composite repairs

People who have been diagnosed with bruxism – teeth grinding – should get a night guard from their dentist to protect their composite restoration. The condition leads to teeth being under significant bite forces during sleep, and that can lead to composites being chipped. A nightguard can be used to reduce the bite forces a person’s teeth are exposed to as they sleep due to them grinding their teeth.

4. Composite bonding is non-invasive

Getting teeth repaired with dental bonding does not leave the patient stuck with the restoration for the rest of their lives. Repairing a tooth with a composite does not require any permanent alterations being made to it, so the patient can explore other options as they please in the future. Dental technology is constantly improving, and something better is guaranteed to eventually come along.

Restorations like crowns and veneers typically require removing portions of enamel from teeth being treated. This leaves those teeth without enamel to protect them, so they will always need a restoration to serve as artificial enamel.