You may consider dental bonding to help:
- Repair chipped or cracked teeth
- Close spaces between teeth
- Make teeth look longer
- Change the shape of teeth
- Improve the appearance of discolored teeth
- Cosmetic alternative to silver or amalgam fillings
- Protect a part of the tooth’s root, which has been exposed, due to receding gums
Dental bonding is not an invasive procedure and can typically be accomplished in one visit for about 30-60 minutes a tooth. There is little advance preparation needed and anesthesia is usually not needed, unless the bonding is used to fill a cavity, or the tooth needs to be drilled to change shape, or if the chip is near the nerve. The tooth is roughened, and a conditioning liquid is then applied. The putty-like resin is applied, molded, and then smoothed to the desired shape. An LED light is then used to harden the materials. The dentist will then trim and shape it, and then finish with a polish to match the shade of the rest of the tooth’s surface.