Do you have a single chipped or cracked tooth? Treat minor cosmetic dental problems with bonding. Dental bonding offers cosmetic dental treatment to improve the appearance and structure of teeth. Dr. Kevin Sivaneri and Dr. Ashley Whetsell provide teeth bonding in Nashville, TN, for patients of all ages.
Dental bonding can be a simple yet effective treatment for patients who want to change the look of their teeth. Tooth bonding uses tooth-colored materials like composite resin to change tooth shape, shade, and size. After we sculpt bonding material to the affected tooth, we ensure it matches the appearance of a natural tooth. Then, we harden the material. Dental bonding can match the color of natural teeth, ensuring even single discolored teeth match the rest of the mouth.
Teeth Bonding Treatment in Nashville, TN
To begin treatment, we’ll clean your teeth and apply a local anesthetic so you’ll feel comfortable during treatment. Then, we’ll examine your teeth and determine the right composite shade for your treated tooth or teeth. We ensure that the resin matches the surrounding natural teeth.
We prepare the treated teeth by gently roughening the tooth surface. Then, we place a conditioning liquid on the enamel. Preparing the teeth ensures that the resin adheres to the teeth and blends in with the shape of other teeth.
Once we prepare the treated teeth, we apply the color-matched resin and mold it into the correct size and shape. We harden the resin with an LED light, which bonds the resin to the tooth. Finally, we trim and polish the bonded tooth and ensure that it blends in with the look of natural teeth. It takes 30 to 60 minutes to bond each tooth.
How to Care For Bonded Teeth
Avoid hard and crunchy foods immediately after bonding treatment. These foods can damage your newly bonded teeth. Eating berries and tomato sauces or drinking wine, coffee, and tea can stain the bonding material.
Brushing and flossing daily is the best way to care for composite bonding. You can clean your bonded teeth like your natural teeth. When brushing, use a non-abrasive toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Abrasive materials can scratch your bonded teeth.
Also, flossing before brushing removes bacterial buildup and food debris from between teeth. Then, you can brush with fluoride toothpaste.
Remember to visit your dentist regularly. Dental cleanings and examinations ensure that bonded teeth stay bright. We’ll examine your bonded teeth at routine visits to ensure they look bright and aren’t damaged. With the proper care, cosmetic bonding can last up to ten years.
The Benefits of Dental Bonding
There are many advantages to tooth bonding treatment. Bonding can:
- Provide minimally invasive treatment (minimal tooth preparation)
- Create a brighter and straighter-looking smile
- Provide affordable care
- Blend in with natural teeth
- Offer quick treatment
Dental bonding also addresses many types of cosmetic problems. Tooth bonding:
- Covers small spaces between teeth
- Brightens stained teeth
- Changes the look of misshapen teeth
- Covers tooth chips and cracks
- Lengthens short teeth
- Fixes slightly crooked teeth
- Covers black triangles
Dental bonding is a conservative, minimally invasive way to treat damaged or discolored teeth. Many patients choose it because treatment is affordable and reversible. We can easily remove bonding material as needed.
Please let us know if you notice a chip or crack in one or more teeth. Sometimes, minor cosmetic problems can worsen over time. Depending on the size of the break, bacteria can enter the tooth and cause infection. Covering a damaged tooth with bonding material can prevent further wear.
Teeth Bonding vs. Porcelain Veneers
Teeth bonding treatment is often compared to porcelain veneers because they can both cover discolored and damaged teeth. However, bonding is more affordable. Bonding benefits patients with smaller areas of tooth damage, including minor chips and cracks in their tooth enamel.
Dental bonding also uses different materials, usually resin instead of porcelain. Tooth bonding treatment quickly fixes damaged or stained teeth in just one office visit.
Veneers are permanent treatments. Our dentist must remove more of the tooth structure to place the shell-like veneers. Dental veneers are stain-resistant and less prone to scratches or other types of damage. However, porcelain veneers are more costly than bonding because of their materials.
Our office will work with you to determine if bonding or veneers are suitable for you. We often recommend veneers to treat all teeth that show when you smile. However, a single veneer or bonding treatment can treat a discolored or injured tooth.
Teeth bonding FAQs
Can You Damage Bonded Teeth?
Yes, you can damage bonded teeth. Directly biting down on bonded teeth, particularly in the front of the mouth, can chip or crack the bonding material. Bad oral health habits like chewing on ice, using teeth as tools or nail biting can damage bonding.
We won’t recommend dental bonding treatment if you have bruxism. Bruxism, or teeth clenching and grinding, can wear down teeth. Teeth grinding will further damage your bonded material. We can treat teeth grinding before bonding treatment to ensure you don’t chip or crack bonding material.
Some patients may ask if bonded teeth can get cavities. While decay won’t affect the bonding material, harmful bacteria can affect the natural tooth and surrounding teeth. Gum disease can also affect the gums surrounding bonded teeth.
The good news is that you can visit our office for bonding repair if you damage a bonded tooth. Depending on the extent of the damage, we can seamlessly patch a chip or completely replace the material. We can also provide a replacement if, for any reason, your bonding falls off.
How Long Does Dental Bonding Last?
Dental bonding typically lasts 3-10 years with proper care, though this varies based on your oral habits and which teeth were treated. Bonding on front teeth often lasts longer than bonding on back teeth because they don’t endure heavy chewing. You’ll know it’s time for replacement if you notice chipping, staining that can’t be polished out, or if the bonding material starts separating from your tooth.
Regular dental check-ups allow us to monitor your bonded teeth and recommend touch-ups before problems develop. Unlike veneers which need complete replacement, your dentist can repair bonding if minor damage occurs.
Can Dental Bonding Fix Large Gaps or Severely Crooked Teeth?
While bonding works well for minor gaps and slight alignment issues, it has limits. For gaps wider than 3mm or noticeably crooked teeth, we typically recommend orthodontics or veneers instead. Bonding material can break if extended too far from the natural tooth structure.
However, bonding is excellent for closing small “black triangles” between teeth or subtly reshaping teeth to appear more even. During your consultation, we’ll take digital images and show you a mock-up of expected results. This will ensure bonding can give you what you’re looking for before proceeding with treatment.
Is Dental Bonding Painful?
Most patients don’t feel pain during bonding since we typically don’t need to drill into healthy tooth structure. We simply prepare the surface. Some may feel slight temperature sensitivity for a day or two as the tooth adjusts. You can immediately return to normal activities after bonding, though we suggest avoiding hard foods for 24 hours while the resin fully hardens.
Unlike veneers which may need temporary restorations, bonding offers instant results with no “break-in” period. If we’re bonding a front tooth, some patients prefer to schedule their appointment when they don’t have important events. The resin takes about 48 hours to reach its final polish and shine.
Get a Brighter and Straighter Smile
Are you looking for an affordable way to treat a chipped tooth? Call 615 Smile Design for tooth bonding treatment in Nashville, TX, at (615) 637-2878. You can also schedule a dental appointment online. We serve the Walnut Hill, Summit Oaks, and Windsor Terrace communities.
If you have questions about teeth bonding in our Nashville, TN, office, please let us know during your next visit. We will help you find the best cosmetic treatment to improve your smile.