Dental Bonding
Composite added to a chipped corner, a worn edge or a small gap, shaped and polished in a single visit. Nothing is drilled away first, which is why it is usually the right thing to try before a veneer.
What bonding is good at
A chipped corner on a front tooth. A worn edge that has gone translucent. A small gap between the two front teeth. A tooth that sits slightly short of its neighbour. Those are the jobs bonding does well, and it does them in one appointment.
The composite is bonded directly to the tooth surface and built up in layers, then shaped and polished. In most cases nothing is removed first, which matters: if you do not like it, or it chips in five years, you have not lost any tooth.
- Chips and fractured corners
- Small gaps between front teeth
- Worn or short edges
- Discoloured spots on enamel
- One visit, no laboratory work
- Usually no tooth removed
Bonding before veneers, almost always
A veneer usually means removing a layer of enamel, and that layer does not come back. Bonding is the lower-commitment answer to the same complaint.
It keeps your options open
If bonding does the job, you have solved the problem without losing tooth. If it does not hold, a veneer is still available.
It costs less and takes less time
One appointment, no laboratory, no temporary. For a single chip it is very hard to justify anything more.
It has real limits
Composite stains over the years, it can chip under a heavy bite, and it does not match porcelain for longevity. We will say when a veneer is the better answer.
What to expect from it
Realistically, including how it ages.
One visit, usually under an hour
A single chip is often thirty to forty five minutes including the shade match and the polish.
Matched, then blended
Shade is chosen against your own tooth, often with more than one shade layered so the edge does not look flat.
It ages differently to enamel
Composite picks up stain from tea, coffee and tobacco faster than your own tooth. Polishing at a hygiene visit helps and eventually it gets replaced.
How we approach it
Bonding is a small treatment where the finish is everything. The difference between good and obvious is the last ten minutes.
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01
We check why it chipped
A front edge that broke on its own is telling you something about the bite or about grinding. Rebuilding it without asking why means doing it again.
-
02
Shade is taken before the tooth dries
A tooth isolated for twenty minutes lightens noticeably. Matching to the dry shade is the classic way to end up with a bonding that looks too light a week later.
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03
The bite is checked, not assumed
A lengthened front edge can catch in side-to-side movement, which is exactly how it chips off again.
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04
Honest about when it will not hold
Heavy grinders and very large rebuilds are where composite struggles. You will hear that before we start.
How the appointment runs
Short, and usually without an injection.
Shade and plan
Chosen against your hydrated tooth at the start, because a tooth lightens as it dries during an appointment.
Prepare the surface
The enamel is cleaned and conditioned so the composite grips. In most cases nothing is drilled.
Build and cure in layers
Composite is placed, shaped and set with a curing light, layer by layer, until the contour is right.
Shape, bite and polish
The final contour is refined, the bite is checked so the new edge is not taking unfair load, and the surface is polished until it catches light like enamel.
Bonding, veneer or crown
Three answers to what can look like the same complaint.
| Bonding | Veneer | Crown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tooth removed | Usually none | A layer of enamel | Most of the outer surface |
| Appointments | One | Two | Two |
| Laboratory | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Chips, small gaps, worn edges | Several front teeth, shape and shade together | A tooth that has lost structure |
| Reversible | Largely | No | No |
| Staining over time | More | Less | Less |
Fees depend on the size and the number of teeth and are given in writing. Call 441 292 0107.
Questions patients actually ask
Do not see yours here. Call the practice on 441 292 0107 and ask. Nobody minds the question.
Call 441 292 0107How long does dental bonding last?
Several years is common on a front edge that is not taking heavy load, and less where there is grinding or a heavy bite. It chips and stains rather than failing suddenly.
Nothing in the mouth is guaranteed, and a practice that gives you a number is guessing.
Does bonding damage the tooth?
In most cases nothing is removed, so no. That is the main argument for trying it before a veneer, which does require taking a layer of enamel away permanently.
Can bonding close a gap between my front teeth?
A small one, yes, and in a single visit. A larger gap is usually better closed by moving the teeth with clear aligners, because widening two teeth to fill a big space can leave them looking square.
Will it match my other teeth?
Shade is chosen against your own tooth before it dries out, and more than one shade is often layered. Composite does pick up stain faster than enamel, so the match drifts over the years.
Should I whiten first?
Yes, if you are planning to. Composite does not lighten with whitening gel, so bonding placed first will look dark against newly whitened teeth. See teeth whitening.
Book a visit
Tell us what you need and when suits you. We will come back to you to confirm a time. If it is urgent, calling is faster.
- New patients welcome, every age.
- Free exams for children under three.
- CG Insurance, Argus and BF&M claims filed for you.
- Something hurting today? Call 441 292 0107.
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