Having a beautiful smile is possible thanks to all the advances in cosmetic dentistry, but so many cosmetic dental procedures as expensive. Dental bonding, however, offers an affordable way to fix many cosmetic dental concerns. If you aren't happy with your smile, check out these four ways dental bonding improves your smile to see if it's the right procedure for you.
Makes Teeth Look Whiter
If you have stained teeth, you've probably considered professional teeth whitening, which is an excellent idea. Professional teeth whitening is safe and extremely effective at getting rid of stains caused by foods and beverages, tobacco use or age. Unfortunately, some discoloration is immune to teeth whitening. Stains caused by overexposure to fluoride or trauma to the dentin can't be corrected with whitening treatments.
Luckily, you don't have to suffer with discolored teeth, because dental bonding works to hide those stains. Like veneers, dental bonding is placed over your teeth, so it can hide any stain to make your teeth look whiter. The composite resin is even stain-resistant, but it isn't as stain-resistant as porcelain.
Fixes Broken and Chipped Teeth
If you have some cracks or chips in your teeth, dental bonding doesn't just give you back a beautiful smile. It can prevent further damage and decay by protecting the tooth. The dentist places the composite resin directly on your teeth and shapes it by hand to fill in any cracks or chips. Because the dentist can just fix the problem area, the rest of your tooth isn't affected. If you get a veneer or crown instead, the entire tooth is permanently altered just to fix a small chip.
Another advantage to dental bonding is that it is a much more affordable option. Porcelain crowns cost $500 to $3,000 per crown, and veneers cost $925 to $2,500 per veneer. Many people may not be able to immediately afford their high cost, forcing them to wait, which can be embarrassing or lead to further damage. Dental bonding, however, only costs about $100 to $400 per tooth.
Creates Seamless Fillings
There are definitely some advantages to metal fillings. They are more durable and last longer than composite resin fillings, but the advantages end there. Metal fillings are ugly, damage healthy tooth tissue and require the removal of more healthy tooth tissue.
If you have a cavity and need a filling, you can choose a composite resin filling. Even if you already have metal fillings, you can swap it out for a tooth-colored filling. The material can be colored to match the rest of your tooth color, creating a seamless filling. However, while metal fillings last at least 10 to 15 years, composite fillings only last at least five.
Makes Teeth Look Straighter
When you think about correcting crooked teeth, your mind probably automatically thinks about braces, but braces aren't the only way to make your teeth look straight. Dental bonding is a fast way to make your mild to moderately crooked teeth look straight. The dentist shapes the dental bonding material to give the illusion of straight teeth.
The advantage of using dental bonding instead of veneers or crowns is that less tooth structure needs to be removed, so there is less risk of causing damage to the pulp. On the downside, however, dental bonding doesn't give your teeth the same natural and translucent appearance that porcelain and real teeth have.
Dental bonding isn't perfect, but it is an extremely affordable way to get the smile you've always wanted. Whatever your cosmetic dental concern, dental bonding may be able to help. For more information about dental bonding or other options like dental crowns, contact a dentist in your area today.
