Cosmetic Dental Bonding in Yonkers

Teeth bonding is a cost-effective way to cover cosmetic dental flaws and repair minor injuries. Dental bonding used for teeth contouring is made from composite fillings. Reshaping teeth is required when you injure a tooth. White filling material matches the color of your teeth so no one notices you’ve had cosmetic bonding. And dental bonding costs less than crowns. When you see dental bonding before and after photos, you’ll see the value in teeth reshaping. 

What is dental bonding?

Dental bonding refers to a tooth-colored resin material, called a composite filling. Your dentist applies it to your teeth for teeth reshaping. The curing material chemically bonds the resin to your teeth to restore and improve your smile.

Depending on the reasons for dental bonding, very little preparation is required, and you may not even need anesthesia. The bonding offers both cosmetic and restorative benefits, as the material is colored to match your natural teeth.

Uses for Cosmetic Bonding

The versatility of the composite filling material provides your dentist flexibility and a wide range of dental solutions. For example, by making the composite filling look as natural as possible, you can get a confident smile.

Dentists also use dental bonding for:

• Repairing and reshaping your teeth after decayed material has been removed
• Teeth reshaping from chipped  or cracked teeth
• Improving the appearance of discolored teeth
• Teeth contouring to make your teeth longer or change the shape of your teeth
• Closing spaces between teeth
• A cosmetic alternative to amalgam or mercury fillings
• Protecting a portion of a tooth’s root exposed when the gum recedes

Can dental bonding be used for a small chip or crack teeth?

Dental bonding can be useful in numerous situations. For example, if you have a small chip or crack in a tooth, it can be mended with composite resin. It is a far more conservative and cost-effective solution than choosing an alternative treatment such as a dental crown that would cover up the affected tooth entirely.

Can dental bonding be used for stained teeth?

Perhaps you have some teeth that are stained, maybe because of an old root canal treatment, tetracycline use, or dental fluorosis? Having these teeth bonded or covered with composite resin is a way to hide the stains quickly and is an alternative treatment to porcelain veneers which, although longer-lasting, are much costlier.

Can dental bonding be used for short or worn teeth?

Some people have teeth that are worn, or which were too short in the first place, and dental bonding can be used to lengthen them. Another potential use is to change the overall shape of the tooth. For example, some people have teeth that are too small or oddly shaped, and bonding teeth can create a much nicer and more cosmetically appealing tooth. Sometimes gums recede, exposing the tooth root which begins to decay. Dental bonding can protect the exposed tooth root, preventing tooth decay or mending areas that may have already become decayed.

Can dental bonding be used for cover an amalgam fillings?

If you have any dental fillings, it’s quite likely they may be composite resin as this material is excellent for mending small to medium-sized cavities in teeth. These days it’s often used as an alternative to older style amalgam fillings which are those highly visible silver-colored fillings that used to be so popular. Some dental offices are now entirely amalgam-free and especially given the concerns about the mercury content of amalgam.

Although amalgam fillings are deemed to be safe, lots of people now prefer having a metal-free mouth and are choosing composite resin to replace these fillings.

Procedure for Dental Bonding

Tooth bonding is the process in which a tooth-colored resin is applied over your natural teeth to improve the appearance of your smile and protect your teeth. It is a cosmetic procedure that can fix chips, misalignment, or discoloration in your teeth. You can get one tooth bonded or all your teeth, depending on how many you want to fix. Many of the reasons for cosmetic bonding require no anesthesia, but your dentist makes sure you’re comfortable throughout the procedure. The steps include:

1. If filling a cavity, drilling or working near a nerve, your dentistry office uses local anesthesia.
2. A shade guide matches the composite to your surrounding teeth.
3. Your dentist conditions the surface of the tooth so the composite filling adheres to the surface.
4. The application of tooth-colored resin follows in layers to build up the tooth.
5. Your dentist molds and smooths the resin.
6. Next comes hardening the material with a special light.
7. Finally, your dentist trims, shapes and polishes the material to match your surrounding teeth and provide a good bite.

You pick the color of your desired teeth and a shape closest to your own teeth. The dentist then applies the resin to your teeth and hardens it with ultraviolet light. The process usually takes 30 to 60 minutes per tooth. Dental bonding before and after results are completely natural-looking.

Pros and Cons of Dental Bonding

The composite resin’s versatility makes it one of the most affordable dental procedures for restoration. Dental bonding costs in Yonkers range from $100 to $400 per tooth, and most dental insurance companies pay at least part of the cost. The procedure can be done in one visit unless several teeth are involved. Your dentist removes much less tooth enamel than with other techniques, such as for a crown. Plus, there’s no unusual aftercare.

However, the composite material doesn’t resist stains as well as porcelain crowns. Also, the material can sometimes wear or chip away. If you’re asking yourself, how long do composite fillings last, you can expect three to 10 years, depending on where it is in your mouth and your oral care habits. Other dental remedies last longer.

Are There Any Risks of Teeth Bonding?

Teeth bonding is a relatively safe, quick, and painless procedure. However, as with any medical procedure, there are some risks you should know about. Below are some risks of teeth bonding.

Allergy

Although rare, some patients may be allergic or hypersensitive to the resin, conditioning liquid, or even the tools. Some people may even be allergic to the gloves doctors use. Some allergy symptoms include itchiness, redness, or dry skin. If you don’t know what you are allergic to consider getting an allergy test.

If you are allergic to any of the materials the dentist uses for your teeth bonding, you can ask them to use a substitute material.

Infection

It is extremely important that the dentist fully sterilize your teeth and all the tools before beginning teeth bonding. A good dentist will sterilize everything before every time he gets to work. These tools and products are going in your mouth so you want them clean. Plus, this is a medical procedure. If any bacteria gets in between your real teeth and the resin it can eat away at your teeth and cause them to rot.

Make sure you see a top dentist that you trust to sterilize the equipment and your teeth properly.

If you think you may have an infection contact your doctor right away to get the proper medication to treat it.

Chips

The resin bonded to your teeth is not as strong as your natural teeth so they can chip. Be careful eating hard foods and don’t chew on ice. If you do crack your dental bonding, just go back to your dentist and they will be able to fix it for you.

Discoloration

Just like your natural teeth, bonded teeth are susceptible to stains. Avoid drinking coffee, wine, and cigarettes the first two days after you get your tooth bonding and moderate your consumption of these products afterward.

How to Care for Bonded Teeth?

Care for your new bonded teeth as you would your natural teeth. Brush twice a day, and floss daily. Remember, they can still chip and stain so be careful eating hard foods.
Schedule regular dental cleanings every six months. See a dentist if you accidentally chip or break the bonding material, or if you feel any sharp or rough edges after the procedure.

Amalgam vs. Composite Fillings

When it comes to differences between an amalgam vs. composite filling, your Saturday dentist can help you decide which works best for you. Amalgam fillings:

• Are the silver and mercury fillings most common in past decades
• Have been safely in use for over 150 years
• Are one of the strongest filling materials in use, so they’re often recommended for back teeth due to bite pressure
• Last the longest, usually 10 to 15 years
• Are the least expensive option
• Contain safely encapsulated mercury, but it isn’t recommended for those with allergies
• Are more noticeable in your mouth because of the color
• Require your dentist to remove more healthy tooth tissue than other procedures

On the other hand, composite fillings:

• Uses silica surrounded by plastic resin
• Use a blue light to cause the composite to chemically bond to the tooth
• Can be virtually undetectable from your natural teeth, if the shade-matching is done well
• Let your dentist only remove the decayed area of the tooth
• Aren’t as strong as amalgam fillings
• Are a slightly more expensive alternative
• Contain no mercury for those with allergies
• Require more skill on the part of your dentist to layer it effectively

Cosmetically, composite resin — with its white filling — looks and feels like your natural teeth. For repairing and reshaping teeth near the front of your mouth, this dental bonding procedure works very well. If you need repair to your molars, your dentist may advise a different procedure. Your budgetary needs, confidence and dental health determine your choice.

If you want to restore and improve your smile in an easy way, cosmetic dental bonding is the best option for you. In Yonkers Dental Spa, our dentists provide affordable teeth bonding using high-quality materials that last about 10 years. The procedure entails repairing decayed, cracked teeth as well as concealing a wide range of cosmetic imperfections. What’s more, dental bonding doesn’t require anesthesia and multiple visits to the dental office.

Do you have any questions about the Dental Bonding (Cosmetic Teeth Bonding) procedure? For more information or to schedule an appointment with the best-rated cosmetic dentist in Yonkers, Westchester NY please contact our dental clinic for consultation.