What is Dental Bonding and How Can it Improve Your Smile?

Cosmetic tooth bonding is a cosmetic dental procedure that is used to repair teeth that have been injured or for closing small gaps. Dental bonding is one of the least expensive, yet one of the most effective types of cosmetic dentistry in San Diego to repair injured teeth. Although dental bonding may not be appropriate in every dental situation, it is a quick, virtually painless and inexpensive way to improve your smile.

What is Dental Bonding?

Some procedure in cosmetic dentistry in San Diego, such as veneers or crowns, often require more than one dental visit. Cosmetic tooth bonding can typically be completed in one visit and there is less enamel removed than with veneers or a crown. The bonding procedure consists of the tooth surface being roughened and a conditioning liquid applied, which helps with adherence of the bonding material. Tooth-colored resin/composite material is applied to the tooth, molded and smoothed. The material is hardened with an ultraviolet light before further shaping is done. Once the bonded material has been shaped it is polished to match the sheen of the surrounding tooth area. The entire process takes between 30 to 60 minutes for each tooth.

What is Dental Bonding Used For?

Tooth bonding is typically best suited for small cosmetic changes, correcting teeth, such as front teeth, with low bite pressure and the temporary correction of cosmetic defects. The most common uses of cosmetic tooth bonding includes:

• Repairing chipped or cracked teeth
• Repairing decayed teeth (the resin is used to fill cavities)
• Teeth with spaces or gaps
• Changing the shape of teeth
• Improving the appearance of discolored teeth
• As a cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings
• Making teeth look longer
• Protection for a portion of the root of a tooth that has been exposed due to receding gums

What are the Advantages of Dental Bonding?

There are several advantages with dental bonding, including the price, which is often covered by many dental insurance plans, especially when the procedure is done to fill a cavity or for structural reasons. One of the best benefits of dental bonding is that anesthesia is typically not necessary and the entire process for each tooth can be completed in one hour or less.

What are the Disadvantages of Dental Bonding?

The material used in dental bonding is similar to the natural enamel of teeth, unfortunately, this means that it can become stained and discolored over time. Bonding material is also porous, so it will stain yellow with exposure to cigarette smoke. The material used for tooth bonding is not as strong as crowns or veneers and it can easily chip. With proper maintenance tooth bonding typically lasts from 3 to 7 years.

There is no special care required for tooth bonding. Usually good oral hygiene practices is the only care required. Since the bonding material may stain, it is important to limit your use of items that may cause staining, such as coffee/tea, red wine and smoking tobacco products. The tooth bonding material can chip, so you should avoid chewing on hard food, ice and other hard items.

Are you are interested in learning more about how tooth bonding can help to improve your smile? Please contact us for an appointment and we will be happy to discuss your options on how cosmetic dentistry in San Diego can help improve your smile.

Soft Touch Dental

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Say No to Drilling and Access this New Powerful Technology

No patient wants to hear a drill’ sounds and dentist offices have reformed their ways to deliver effective treatments without painful expenses. Dental care is incredibly important, and hygiene should be a primary consideration when accessing dental implants in San Diego

When one’s dental health declines, or when hygiene obligations become difficult, dental implants are a widely-accepted alternative to costly surgeries or prolonged—and ineffective—treatments. Many regular patients wish for better teeth, a healthier smile and a bright demeanor, and losing a tooth can be devastating. All physical pains put aside, tooth replacement can be both incredibly costly and time consuming.

Tooth Implants and the Patient

Original tooth implants required extra time, and many dentists hadn’t yet earmarked the procedure as a priority. Unfortunately, most patients found the procedure incredibly burdensome due to multiple appointments, painful procedures and unwieldy outcomes.

The No-Drill Implant Method

Often, patients experienced pain. That pain was too intense to complete procedures—extending the overall process. Thankfully, the dental industry has devised a relatively painless procedure using a “no-drill implant” method.

No-drill implants are commonplace around dentist offices, and many industry professionals have worked to incorporate the procedure into many tooth replacement situations. The painful days of drilled dental implants are over—and innovative solutions have arrived.

No-drill implants forego heavy machinery. They implant a tooth within a recently emptied tooth cavity, and create solutions seamlessly and quickly. The immediate change is painless, and it’s become a favorite among modern practitioners.

Simplicity and Satisfaction

No-drill implant procedures are incredibly accessible, and many patients have been satisfied with results. Many patients, too, haven’t required additional visits and procedures, as post-procedure pain is completely minimized. The procedure’s effects are so significant many patients have opted-in to no-drill implants preemptively; they’ve selected the option before tooth loss ever happens.

Worldwide Access and New Opportunities

No-drill implants have quelled many patients’ fears. While the dental industry advances, many have proposed a brighter future due to innovative solutions delivered through no-drill procedures. The new approach will likely become common across multiple procedures—improving the lives of both dental practitioners and patients.

When new teeth are quickly implanted, success rate increase. Many dentists prefer the treatment’s non-invasive approach, and no-drill implants require minimal dental tools for the patient’s comfort. No-drill implants cause little tissue trauma, as the procedure circumnavigates gum cutting and root carving. Most patients enjoy quick recovery times, and many have an incredibly reduced infection risk.

When asking about tooth implants, remember to consider specific situations requiring extensive procedures. No-drill tooth implants are incredibly viable for many individuals, and many have had long-lasting success with treatments lasting less than two hours. The process, again, is non-intensive, and it’s a fantastic alternative for those fearing procedure and post-procedure pain. No-drill tooth implants are the future, and the industry is by its side.

Soft Touch Dental

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