Dental Bonding

We often forget how valuable our teeth are until something happens to them. Unfortunately, teeth are quite susceptible to damage from physical trauma and decay. Over the years, Easton, PA dentists have perfected various procedures to help restore smiles. Dental bonding is one of these procedures, and it allows the best cosmetic dentists in Eaton, PA, to restore chipped, cracked, or discolored teeth.

It is a relatively simple procedure where your Easton, PA dentist applies a tooth-colored composite resin, a durable plastic material, to the surface of your tooth to improve your smile. It is then hardened under a special UV light, which ‘bonds’ the resin to the tooth and repairs damage on the tooth’s surface. Dr. Cody Boals, a dentist Colorado Springs, points out that restorative treatments like dental veneers and dental crowns are much more expensive than dental bonding.

Who Can Benefit From Dental Bonding?

As we’ve seen, dental bonding is one of the simplest and most affordable dental procedures in Easton, PA. It’s usually carried out to:

  • Fill small cavities as it is more aesthetically appealing than a silver filling
  • Repair cracked or chipped teeth
  • Improve the appearance of discolored teeth
  • Protect a part of the tooth root that’s exposed when the gums recede
  • Make teeth look longer
  • Close spaces between the teeth
  • As a cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings

If your teeth are decaying, cracked, discolored, or part of the roots is exposed, you should contact an emergency dentist in Easton, PA, for treatment as soon as possible. Most dental issues grow more serious and lead to severe oral health complications if they are left untreated. So, make sure you take care of any dental problems that arise and get help from our professionals at College Hill Dental Group.

Dental Bonding Procedure

As it is relatively simple and quick, dental bonding can be done in a single sitting at College Hill Dental Group. It typically takes between 30 to 60 minutes, but it may take longer, depending on the extent of the procedure. You won’t require any downtime, and since it is usually done without anesthesia. However, if the composite resin is being used to fill a cavity, you may require anesthesia or a numbing agent.

There is little preparation leading up to the procedure. If the bonding is being used to fill a cavity, the dentist will first have to drill into the tooth. If that’s the case, or if the chip or crack being repaired is near the nerve, you will be put under anesthesia. Your Easton, PA dentist will then use a shade guide to determine a composite that most resembles the color of your teeth.

Your dentist will then apply a gentle phosphoric acid to the surface of the tooth. The acid etches and roughens the tooth’s surface, providing an adequate surface for the composite resin to bond to the tooth. He will then apply the putty-like resin to the prepared tooth. Then, mold until it’s in the proper shape before using an ultraviolet curing light to harden the resin. As it sets, the dentist will complete the finishing touche, This may include additional shaping and polishing, to make sure the resin matches the rest of your teeth in color.

It usually takes 30 to 60 minutes to complete the procedure. If you are having multiple teeth, it could take several visits to complete. 

Dental Bonding Aftercare

Unlike veneers, bonding materials are more prone to staining. So, make sure you stay on top of your oral health routines. Dr. Ben Kacos, an emergency dentist in Shreveport, LA, recommends patients to avoid consuming foods that can stain your bonding. This may be tea, coffee, wine, or smoking cigarettes, especially for the first 48 hours after the procedure.

Dental bonding a simple and relatively inexpensive way to fix cracked, chipped, or decayed teeth. Do you want to brighten up your smile? Or are you in the market for other dental treatments like dental implants, veneers, and same-day crowns in Easton, PA? Contact College Hill Dental Group for a consultation.