What is Dental Bonding?
Composite Bonding or Dental Bonding (also known as direct veneers) is a minimally invasive cosmetic dental option for improving the appearance of your smile. This is also a good option for repairing some common dental problems that may not necessarily be cosmetic.
Dental bonding is performed using a composite resin material that is molded to the desired shape by your dentist, tinted to match your teeth, and applied directly to your tooth.
What problems does dental bonding fix?
Bonding is often used to make small cosmetic repairs that affect part of a tooth, such as:
- To patch a chipped tooth
- To fill in a small crack on part of a tooth
- To close a small gap between teeth
- To lengthen a short tooth
- To protect a tooth root that has been exposed due to receding gums
What are advantages of Composite Dental Bonding?
- It’s kinder to natural teeth: composite bonding requires less tooth enamel removal than is typically needed to apply crowns or porcelain veneers
- Bonding is a quicker process: composite can often be applied in a single visit, meaning fewer office visits
- Bonding is more economical than porcelain veneers
- Easier to repair: Though composite veneers aren’t as strong or water-resistant as porcelain veneers, they can be repaired quickly and easily
How is Dental Bonding with Composite Resin applied?
First, you’ll have a consultation visit to discuss the process and if you’re a good candidate for the procedure. Our cosmetic dentists will evaluate your teeth and oral health, and use a shade guide to color the bonding resin to match your natural teeth.
If you decide to proceed with composite bonding, we schedule you to return for your bonding procedure if it cannot be performed the same day. This will depend upon the number of teeth that need bonding.
Your dentist prepares your natural tooth to receive the composite material by carefully removing a tiny amount of enamel from the surface of the tooth. The tooth must be reshaped and prepared to accept the composite material.
Next, your dentist carefully applies the composite resin that has been tinted to match your natural teeth or correct a stained tooth. If you’d like to resolve extensive discoloration, you may want to schedule teeth whitening before your bonding procedure. After the bonding material has been applied, a conditioning liquid is added to help the resin bond. Finally, a special ultraviolet light hardens the composite and causes it to bond to your tooth.
The bonding material is applied directly to your existing tooth structure. Since your natural teeth remain intact, most patients don’t experience much discomfort and an anesthetic is not usually required.
Once the material hardens, the veneer is polished to look like your natural teeth. And voila! You leave our office with a beautiful new smile.
How much does dental bonding cost?
Composite or direct veneers—resin coatings applied directly to the tooth surface in a single visit—generally cost around $250 per tooth, give or take. These can last from five to seven years before needing to be replaced.
Why trust MD Perio for your cosmetic dentistry?
With over twenty years of experience, the cosmetic dental artisans at MD Perio are uniquely qualified to perform a full range of cosmetic dental procedures, of which porcelain veneers and composite bonding are just two. If you are unhappy with your smile and would like to explore the available options for acquiring the beautiful smile you desire, give us a call.
To schedule a consultation, click here or call us at (855) 245-1100.
At MD Periodontics, we take our patients’ safety seriously. Our facility’s Covid-19 patient safety procedures exceed all CDC recommendations. Masks are required in our institutes at all times.
We are conveniently located to patients throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area. Our Beverly Hills office is conveniently located near West Los Angeles, Culver City, West Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Sherman Oaks, and Encino.