What is Dental Bonding?

Teeth can become chipped and misshapen. When this happens, there is a simple, inexpensive solution that can be completed in just one visit to the dentist’s office. It is known as bonding. Bonding, in dentistry, means using dental material and natural teeth and linking them together as one. Bonding is relatively painless and non invasive. There is no fuss, no temporary pieces to be replaced later, and no molds to create. Just one visit, you are in, you are out, and you are done – with beautiful teeth!

There are several different types of bonding methods. One type is used simple to attach one surface to another. Bonding resin serves as a bridge, linking together another type of filling and natural teeth. The most commonly used type of bonding is direct bonding. This type of bonding allows the dentist to apply bonding resin directly onto the natural teeth, filling and covering any flaws on that tooth. This is the type of bonding that is used to fix chipped and cracked teeth.

The bonding process is simple. First, the tooth that will undergo the bonding process is isolated. This is very important, as it ensures that no moisture will interfere with the bonding process. Next, the isolated tooth is hardened by an acid etching process. This means that phosphoric acid is applied to the tooth, and the removed fifteen seconds later. Once the acid is removed, the bonding resin is applied. The Palm Beach Cosmetic dentist shapes the resin around the tooth, using a special light to help harden the resin. He repeats the application of the resin and the shaping of the resin several times until the right shape has been achieved.

The bonding process is a relatively cheap and painless one. However, if it is done inadequately, bacteria may invade and further damage the bonded tooth. But the dentist can counter this. So, bonding is a good choice because of its inexpensive price tag, ease, and the fact that anything that may go wrong can be fixed by the dentist.

Whiten Your Teeth

Teeth are porous and are often discolored do to everyday occurrences – like drinking coffee or other dark colored beverages, smoking cigarettes, or even age or trauma. However, discolored teeth can be whitened. Your dentist can whiten your teeth, or you can purchase an in home treatment at any grocery or drug store. Purchasing an in home treatment is cheaper than going to your dentist, but it also takes longer for the results to be noticeable. If you go to your dentist, it takes one session and you have stunningly beautiful teeth. Both are different ways of achieving similar results.

Going to the Palm Beach Cosmetic dentist to get your teeth whitened will only take about a 45 minute session. You and your dentist will consult a tooth shade chart. This chart is used to establish what your current tooth shade is and what your goal tooth shade is.  A protective guard is then placed over your gums and your lips to protect them from the whitening gel. It is sometimes necessary for the dentist to put the gel on your teeth up to three times in one visit to achieve the goal shade. A special lamp is used to shine light on the gel to speed up the whitening processes. The gel will stay on your teeth for around twenty minutes at a time. Getting your teeth whitened by a dentist will provide the most dramatic results in the shortest amount of time possible. However, it you are paying for the convenience.

At home whitening procedures can take up to several weeks for the results to be noticeable. The gel is typically placed onto the teeth once, sometimes twice, a day for a half an hour to an hour at time. This is repeated for up to ten days. It is not as quick as going to the dentist; however, it costs a lot less money. And, in many cases, the eventual results you do get with the at home treatments are just as good as the immediate results you get from the dentist.

It is mostly a matter of preference. Both ways get you white teeth. Going to the dentist is faster, but it costs more money. Doing it yourself is cheaper, but it takes much longer. So, what do you have more of: time or money? Both ways work just fine.

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