Dental bonding is a procedure in which a tooth-coloured plastic material (composite) is applied to a tooth and hardened with a special light which ultimately “bonds” (sticks) the material to the tooth to improve the appearance of a person’s teeth.
Indications for Cosmetic Bonding:
- To repair chipped or cracked teeth
- To improve the appearance of discoloured teeth
- To close gaps/spaces between teeth
- To make teeth look longer
- To change the shape of teeth
- To protect a portion of the tooth’s root that has been exposed when gums recede (this can be tooth coloured or gum coloured)
Advantages of dental bonding:
- Painless-no need for local anaesthetic
- Little or no enamel removal is required, thereby leaving your tooth strong and intact.
- Bonding can be done in one visit.
- It is among the least expensive of the various cosmetic dental procedures as it does not incur laboratory fees
Disadvantages of dental bonding:
- Although the material used in dental bonding is somewhat stain resistant, it does not resist stains as well as crowns.
- Another disadvantage is that the bonding materials do not last as long nor are they as strong as other restorative procedures, such as crowns or veneers.