Bonds Q & A
What is dental bonding?
Dental bonding uses composite resin to repair damaged teeth. The procedure is called bonding because the BMW Dental team actually bonds the material to your teeth.
Unlike dental veneers, which must be custom-fit and manufactured in a lab, bonding can be done in a single visit. No preparation is needed, so you can leave the office with a gorgeous smile in less than an hour.
What can dental bonding do?
As a cosmetic treatment, dental bonding can restore the shape, shade, and size of damaged teeth. Some of the most common reasons you may need bonding include:
- To repair a chipped or cracked tooth
- To close a tooth gap
- To improve tooth discoloration
- To protect a weak tooth
- To lengthen a tooth or change its shape
Dental bonding can even be used as a cosmetic alternative to metal fillings. They blend in with the natural color of your teeth, so you never have to worry about unsightly fillings in your smile.
How does dental bonding work?
Dental bonding is a minimally invasive procedure that typically doesn’t require anesthesia unless you’re filling a cavity. Once you decide that bonding is right for you, the BMW Dental team uses a shade guide to color match the material to the rest of your teeth.
Your dentist then etches the tooth slightly to help the bonding material adhere to it. Next, they coat your tooth in a special conditioning solution and apply the tooth-colored resin to your tooth. The material is putty-like, so your dentist can mold it to suit your smile perfectly.
Once the resin has been molded and smoothed to look identical to the rest of your teeth, the team hardens it with an ultraviolet light or laser. Your dentist then trims and shapes any excess material before polishing it to perfection. The entire process takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
Composite resin stains easily, so it’s important to avoid coffee, tea, red wine, and tooth-staining foods for at least 48 hours after the procedure. To prevent cracks, chips, and stains, avoid biting your fingernails and eating hard candies whenever possible, and brush your teeth after meals.
Dental bonding is the quickest way to restore imperfections in your smile. For more information, call BMW Dental, or book an appointment online.