Cosmetic bonding

What it is

Bonding uses composite resin (a tooth-colored mix of plastic and fine glass particles). It’s the same kind of material used in tooth-colored fillings. Your dentist picks a shade that matches your tooth, shapes the soft resin onto it, and hardens it with a blue light. Then it’s polished so it blends in.

Because the resin sticks to the surface, little or no enamel (the hard outer layer of the tooth) has to be removed. So bonding changes your natural tooth less than most cosmetic options, and it can usually be repaired or redone later.

Who it helps

Bonding may be a good fit for:

• A small chip or a rough, worn edge
• A small gap between two teeth
• A tooth that’s shorter or shaped differently than its neighbors
• A stain that whitening can’t lift

It works well for small changes on teeth that don’t take heavy biting force. A large break, a big filling, or a grinding habit may call for something stronger, such as a crown or a veneer.

What happens

1. Choosing a shade. Your dentist holds a shade guide up to your teeth to match the color. If you plan to whiten, do that first, because bonding won’t lighten later.
2. Preparing the tooth. Numbing often isn’t needed. The surface is lightly roughened and coated with a mild gel. Then a liquid bonding agent is painted on so the resin can grip.
3. Shaping the resin. Your dentist adds the resin in thin layers, shaping each one and hardening it with a blue light. You may feel light pressure, but nothing sharp.
4. Polishing. The bonding is trimmed and polished, and your bite is checked. This part feels much like a cleaning.

Recovery and aftercare

There’s no healing time. The resin is hard as soon as the light sets it, so you can usually eat right away. If you were numbed, wait until the feeling comes back.

Bonding isn’t as strong as enamel or porcelain. To help it last:

• Don’t bite your nails, pens, or ice, or open packages with your teeth.
• Go easy on coffee, tea, red wine, and tobacco, which stain resin over time.
• Keep up with cleanings, where the bonding can be polished.
• Wear a night guard if you grind your teeth.

With good care, bonding can last for years before it needs a touch-up. If a piece chips, call the office. It can often be repaired in one visit.

Cost and insurance

Bonding usually costs less than veneers or crowns. The cost depends on how many teeth are treated and how much resin each one needs.

When bonding repairs a chipped or broken tooth, dental insurance may cover part of it. When it’s only to change how a tooth looks, plans often don’t. Financing can spread the cost; see insurance and financing.

Alternatives

• Porcelain veneers. Veneers resist stains and tend to last longer, but they usually mean removing some enamel, and that can’t be undone.
• A crown. A crown covers a tooth that’s badly broken or weak. It removes more of the tooth.
• Whitening. If color is the only concern, whitening lightens your natural teeth without adding anything to them.
• Smoothing the edge. A very small chip can sometimes be polished smooth, with no resin at all.
• Leaving it. A small chip that doesn’t hurt or catch your tongue often doesn’t need treatment. Have it checked, though, since a chip can hide a crack.