You can add one more item to your menu of cosmetic dentistry options if you have a goal to improve the appearance of your teeth and smile. Dental bonding in South Tampa is a cosmetic dental procedure that applies tooth-colored composites to your teeth, then hardens that compound with a curing light.
Bonding is an ideal option for small or short-term cosmetic issues affecting your teeth, especially teeth that aren’t put under the highest bite pressure. Those front teeth that are so prominent and subject to lower bite pressure are ideal candidates for having minor flaws addressed with dental bonding near you.
What can bonding accomplish?
The composite resin compounds used in dental bonding are similar to the composite materials used to fill cavities with discrete “white” or tooth-colored fillings. When used to treat a cavity, the compounds replace tooth structure eroded by tooth decay or removed to halt advancing teeth infection. When used as a bonding material rather than a filling material, the composites are cosmetic dentistry alternatives for the following issues:
• Repairing chipped or cracked teeth
• Improving discolored teeth
• Filling gaps between teeth
• Altering the shape of teeth
• Shielding the root of a tooth exposed due to receding gums
What is the process for dental bonding in South Tampa?
The process of dental bonding is simple and quick. It consists of three stages: preparation, application, and curing.
Your dentist in South Tampa will prepare the surface of your teeth by roughening them slightly and applying a conditioning liquid to help the composites grip the tooth. Anesthetic is not usually required during this preparation stage, except if your dentist is using a drill to change the shape of your tooth or if a chip being filled is near a nerve.
Once the surfaces to be bonded have been prepared, you and your dentist will select the exact color of resin compound to be used by referring to a shade guide. The goal will be to select the color that will blend naturally and seamlessly with the other visible surfaces of your natural teeth enamel. Then, your dentist will apply the putty-like resin, and mold and smoothen it into the targeted areas and desired shape.
Once the putty has been applied and shaped perfectly, the process of dental bonding in South Tampa is completed by exposing the resin to blue light or lasers to harden, cure, and bond the material to your tooth. When the compounds are hardened, your dentist will perfect the shape and finish of the new surface, then polish it so that it matches your other teeth.
That entire three-step process can be completed in roughly half an hour to one hour for each tooth being treated.
The advantages of dental bonding
• Bonding is one of the simplest and least expensive cosmetic dentistry options
• Dental bonding in South Tampa can often be completed in a single appointment, unlike veneers and some crowns which may need to be built off-site and require multiple appointments
• Compared to being fit with veneers and crowns, a dentist in South Tampa will remove less of your tooth’s natural enamel during the bonding process
The disadvantages of dental bonding
• Crowns resist stains more effectively than dental bonding
• Bonding materials are not as strong and long-lasting as crowns, fillings, or veneers
• Finally, bonding materials can be chipped from and break off of your teeth.
Dental bonding in South Tampa is a quick, simple, and effective solution for a wide variety of small, minor, and short-term cosmetic issues. A dentist near you will, after carefully reviewing the condition of your teeth and your cosmetic goals, explain the pros and cons of dental bonding compared to the other items on the lengthy cosmetic dentistry menu.