Cosmetic damage to a tooth, or to several teeth, can critically undermine a person’s confidence, and be a source of anxiety. A popular remedy for superficial damage to teeth is the dental bonding procedure. Dental bonding fixes damaged teeth by attaching (“bonding”) material that will replicate the appearance of a healthy tooth, with care to maintaining proper shape and color. Dental bonding helps to eliminate damage, discoloration, or any other visible problems that keep you from feeling comfortable with your smile.

Who Needs Dental Bonding?

Dental bonding can be used to fix a tooth that’s been cracked or chipped, as a treatment for discoloration, or to cover tooth decay. It’s also a useful means of eliminating any gaps between teeth, and can improve overall tooth uniformity by smoothing out imperfections. Because the materials in dental bonding can match tooth color, the process is great for people who are looking to make specific, targeted improvements to their smile. This treatment requires less advanced preparation, and is less intensive, than procedures like crowns and porcelain veneers, which can allow dental bonding to be a more precise means of fixing individual flaws in your teeth, and for taking care of smaller cosmetic improvements.

How Does Dental Bonding Work?

In the dental bonding process, the dentist attaches a resin material directly to the damaged tooth. The material used in the process is specially molded and crafted to mimic that tooth’s natural appearance, and measured to ensure that it fits comfortably in the patient’s mouth. The material is hardened through the use of a curing light, so that it can handle the sort of wear and tear a tooth goes through. Dental bonding can be performed in-house, and the procedure only requires the use of a local anesthetic.