If you would like to improve the look of your teeth, dental bonding may be able to help. Here is a bit of information about dental bonding and its uses.

What Is Dental Bonding?

Dental bonding is a specialized application that can be used in restorative and cosmetic dentistry. The application uses a pliable resin-based material to repair areas of a tooth that are missing, damaged, or unattractive.  

How Is the Bonding Material Applied?

The dentist presses the flexible composite resin material against the teeth, molding it into place. Due to the putty-like nature of the material, it can be configured into the perfect shape to complete the dental restoration or enhancement.

Once the dentist is satisfied with the look of the applied resin, they can harden the material into place by exposing it to a resin-curing light. The hardened material is then polished to help it blend seamlessly with the tooth enamel.

The process is so noninvasive that anesthesia is not required during the application. Additionally, a dentist can complete a dental bonding procedure during a single dental appointment.

What Cosmetic Improvements Can Dental Bonding Achieve?

Dental bonding can be used to treat multiple cosmetic dental issues, such as:

• Interdental gaps. Large gaps can detract from the look of a smile. With dental bonding, a bit of material can be added to the side of each tooth that borders the gap, widening the teeth and minimizing the interdental space.
• Dental discoloration. Minor dental discoloration, such as food-based staining, is often considered temporary and may be treated using dental bleaches. However, deep or permanent stains cannot be chemically whitened but can be covered using dental bonding material.
• Dental misalignment. If a misalignment is minor or only includes a small number of crooked teeth, bonding material can help even out the bottom edges of the teeth to give the illusion of a straighter alignment..
• Teeth that are too short. If the teeth need to be elongated to improve the appearance of the smile, bonding material can be added to lengthen them.
• Dental cracks and chips. When a bit of tooth material has broken off or a crack has appeared in a tooth, dental bonding material can be added to fill in the crack or chip. Also, if a large chip of tooth material has detached, the bonding material can be used to help reattach the chip to the main tooth structure.

To learn more about dental bonding, schedule a consultation with a cosmetic dentist clinic, like Carolina Forest Family Dentistry.