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The Effect
Bonding is a common solution for: Fixing or repairing chipped or cracked teeth, Reducing unsightly gaps or spaces between teeth, Hiding discoloration or faded areas on the tooth's surface, Often used to improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile.
As the name indicates, composite material, either a plastic or resin, is bonded to an existing tooth. Unlike veneers or crowns, composite bonding removes little, if any, of the original tooth.
Composite bonding has many advantages: It is a quick process, which typically lasts less than one hour. It does not reduce the tooth's original structure and is relatively inexpensive. Composite resins come in many different shades and provide better matching of shades to the natural color of your teeth. Composite bonds, however, are not as durable and long-lasting as veneers and crowns and may need to be re-touched or replaced in the future.
Composite bonds stain more easily and therefore require proper care and regular cleaning. In order to ensure the longest possible duration of the bonding, composites should be brushed and flossed daily. Common staining elements include coffee, tea, tobacco, foods and candy.
Bonding uses a tooth-colored composite resin (plastic) to repair a decayed, chipped, fractured or discolored tooth. Bonding can be done in a single visit, unlike veneers, which are manufactured in a laboratory and require a customized mold to achieve a proper fit. The procedure is called bonding because the material bonds to the tooth.
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The Procedure
Bonding is among the easiest and least expensive of cosmetic dental procedures. The composite resin used in bonding can be shaped and polished to match the surrounding teeth. Most often, bonding is used for cosmetic purposes to improve the appearance of a discolored or chipped tooth. It also can be used to close spaces between teeth, to make teeth look longer or to change the shape or color of teeth.
Sometimes, bonding also is used as a cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings, or to protect a portion of the tooths root that has been exposed when gums recede.
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Treatment
Your dentist will use a shade guide to select the composite resin color that will match the color of the tooth most closely.
Once your dentist has chosen the color, he or she will slightly abrade or etch the surface of the tooth to roughen it. The tooth will be coated lightly with a conditioning liquid, which helps the bonding material adhere.
When the tooth is prepared, your dentist will apply the tooth-colored, puttylike resin. The resin is molded and smoothed until it's the proper shape. Then the material is hardened with an ultraviolet light or laser.
After the bonding material hardens, your dentist will further trim and shape it. Then he or she will polish the material until it matches the sheen of the rest of the tooth surface.
The procedure usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour. If you're having more than one tooth done, you may need to schedule several visits.
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Side Effects
The composite resin used in bonding isn't nearly as strong as a natural tooth. Biting your fingernails or chewing on ice or pens can chip the material. Bonding usually lasts several years before it needs to be repaired. How long it actually lasts depends on how much bonding was done and your oral habits.
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