Tooth bonding involves the use of a tooth-colored material called composite resin. This
material has many applications in dentistry. It’s pliable to form practically any shape, and can
be customized to match the color of your teeth. Once bonded to your teeth, it’ll need to be
maintained, but is considered a permanent solution to your smile.
What is tooth bonding used for at your dentist’s office, and how can it improve your smile?
Here are a few of the ways tooth bonding can help restore your pearly whites!
Fill in Cracks
If you have a crack in one of your teeth from an injury, tooth bonding can help prevent the
crack from extending and fortify your tooth. Tooth bonding can also help minimize the
appearance of cracks, especially tiny cracks that may be extensive and cause your smile to
become discolored (also called craze lines). Any crack in your tooth should be evaluated by a
professional dentist for the best treatment option.
Repair Chips
Tooth bonding is an excellent choice for chips that may be plaguing your teeth. Chips can
happen for a variety of reasons and tend to be very common. To help restore the tooth,
prevent further damage, and create an even look, tooth bonding can help get your tooth back
to its old self and stop those unsightly chips from ruining your smile.
Close Gaps
For people who want to close a single gap in their tooth, tooth bonding may be able to help.
Your dentist can build out the teeth on either side of your gap with the composite resin to
effectively close the gap. Tooth bonding may not be the right choice if your gap is very wide or
if you have numerous gaps throughout your smile; in this case, orthodontics or dental veneers
may be a more appropriate choice.
Treat Cavities
Composite resin is a popular alternative to amalgam (silver) fillings, making it a tooth-colored
filling material choice that’s invisible after placement. If you have a cavity that needs to be
filled, you can talk with your dentist to see if composite resin would be the best choice to fill
your cavity and protect your tooth!
Protect Exposed Tooth Roots
For people who have receding gums, the material used in tooth bonding can actually help cover
the exposed tooth roots and prevent painful sensitivity. Since composite resin is designed to
match your teeth, the material will naturally look like part of your tooth and help curb your
symptoms of gum recession. If gum disease is found to be the cause of your gum recession, it’s
important to address this with your dentist before choosing tooth bonding to solve the
problem.
Tooth bonding can help improve your smile in numerous ways. This versatile material can be
used for everything from fixing cracks in your smile to filling cavities and protecting tooth roots.
If composite resin is a good choice to solve your dental dilemma, your dentist will discuss the
material choice with you and talk more with you about tooth bonding to improve your beautiful
smile!
