| Some Common Problems That Can Be Solved With Bonding | |
| Chips and small fractures of front teeth | Bonding is ideal for these situations. It is not necessary to remove more tooth material as with crowns or veneers. Bonding is also less costly than crowns or veneers. In most cases, this repair will last for many years. Your tooth color will be matched and the repair will be virtually invisible. |
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| Spaces between teeth | There are many cases in which unsightly spaces between adult front teeth can be closed with bonding. Tooth colored material is bonded to adjacent teeth and carefully shaped. The result is an even more delightful and asthetic smile! |
| Stains | When bleaching cannot remove stains, bonding is a viable treatment. A very small amount of stained tooth is removed and tooth-colored material is bonded permanently to the tooth surface. |
| Toothcolored restorations in back teeth | Some patients would prefer to have their teeth restored with fillings that are tooth colored instead of the more common amalgam restorations (silver fillings).They have the option of having a tooth colored composite material bonded into these areas. One drawback: posterior composite fillings are more costly than amalgams, and the difference is often not covered by insurance plans. |
| Restoring eroded tooth surfaces | These areas of erosion usually occur near the gumline, causing sensitivity to temperature and touch. They can make eating ice cream or brushing the teeth an unpleasant experience! However, by bonding a layer of composite material over the eroded area and covering it, the pain can be relieved. The composite material is very strong and will prevent further wearing away of the tooth structure. |
| Replacing missing teeth | There are situations were a bonded bridge can be made to replace missing teeth. This procedure can be performed with little or no modification to the existing teeth. It is not appropriate for all situations, but when it can be performed excellent esthetic results can be obtained while maintaining the integrity of the remaining dentition. |
What Is Involved In Bonding?
| Because we are usually adding and not removing tooth structure, often no local anesthesia is needed for this painless procedure. |
| The first step is to etch the tooth surface. An adhesive material is then placed to form a chemical and mechanical bond between the tooth colored composite material and the tooth. |
| The bonding material is then placed onto the tooth. It is shaped to the appropriate contour. A high intensity white light is then used to initiate the curing process to harden the composite material. The bonded material is then polished to a high luster. |
| A 70 year old woman who was self consious about the appearance of her smile. | |
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| The two front teeth were bonded to repair the chipped and stained teeth while maintaining a natural appearance. | |
| The spacing between the teeth was closed by bonding. | |
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| These results can be achieved in a one visit appointment. | |
| This boy was congenitally missing (born without) two of his front teeth. | |
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| Two bonded bridges were made to replace the two missing front teeth. This procedure permanently replaced the missing teeth without having to make any changes to any of his existing teeth. | |
| This twenty-two year old male fractured his front tooth in a jacuzzi. | |
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| The tooth was restored in a thirty minute pain free appointment. | |
| The appearance of these severely stained teeth was improved by bonding. | |
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| This result was achieved recently in my office. Think what a positive effect this change will have on this young patient's self-confidence. | |
| This young patient was self-conscious about her discolored front tooth. This tooth was originally bonded about ten years ago when she was eleven. | |
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| The bonding has held up well, but in the intervening years the tooth has discolored. Her smile was restored in one short visit. | |
| This seven year old boy had a bicycle accident. Three of his four front teeth were broken in the accident. | |
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| These teeth were repaired in one short, pain free appointment. As these teeth had not completely erupted into the mouth prior to the accident, they were repaired in their original position. | |