Teeth Bonding: Pros and Cons

Dr Julian 15 Dec 2022 Dental Treatments

Oral health conditions are not the only reasons why people visit dentists. At some points, cosmetic dental procedures are the things that patients need from their dentists. Teeth bonding is one of the most commonly-found cosmetic dental procedures. 

Anyway, teeth bonding is a dentistry practice that uses the power of UV light. Still, the radiation and vibration from the tools that the dentist uses for teeth bonding are extremely low so teeth bonding is safe for all ages. Nonetheless, since teeth bonding is a cosmetic dental procedure (which means, the procedure to beautify the teeth conditions), productive-aged people tend to be the patients who use these types of treatments.

However, it can also work for children, particularly children who have not undergone any types of teeth-related treatments and oral health histories. Another fact about teeth bonding is that this cosmetic dental procedure can only be done for minor oral health problems. So, teeth bonding can fix several broken teeth as long as the issues are not severe enough.

The same also goes for decay; teeth bonding can fix tooth decay problems, as long as the decay is not severe enough.

What Is Teeth Bonding

Generally, teeth bonding is a cosmetic dental procedure that “fills in the blanks” between one tooth to another. So, the dentists decide to have the teeth bonding procedure for patients with one or more gaps in the teeth’s structure. The composite resin material is the primary thing that dentists use in the tooth bonding procedure.

The material’s colours depend on the patient’s tooth problems and the tooth colour that the dentist witnesses without any aiding tools. Normally, the average dentist would spend around 30-60 minutes for one tooth bonding case for one patient. A conditioned liquid is yet another preparation material that dentists use when performing the tooth bonding procedure.

The liquid doesn’t only help the resin materials to stick to the patient’s teeth before the curing process. Instead, the liquid also becomes the reason why the procedure is safe for the patients to undergo. Not stopping there, some dentists are so specialised in tooth bonding procedures that they can polish the attached resin materials to the patient’s teeth to make the tooth look natural.

Indeed, the teeth bonding procedure itself has several advantages and pros. Next, we’ll discuss the pros patients can get from the dental bonding procedure.

Teeth Bonding Advantages

The first, and the most evident advantage that we can get from the dental bonding procedure, is our “feel-young-again” sensation every time we’re in a situation that needs us to reveal our teeth. Under the care of the right dentist, our teeth can appear sturdy enough to chew things that are too stony, even though parts of the teeth may be made from resin a.k.a artificial materials, and even though we don’t chew those stony things. The second advantage that we can get is the convenience of the procedure itself.

Dental bonding seldom needs more than one session of consultation with the dentist. It is because the process can be done in a matter of hours, even though the patient’s case is quite severe (but can still be treated with the dental bonding procedure). As a result, dental bonding becomes a teeth-related procedure that doesn’t require a lot of time commitments.

Dental bonding is also a versatile dental procedure that can cover lots of (minor-to-medium) dental problems. Here, dental bonding’s versatility (or various treatments) becomes the third advantage. Discolouration, chirps, gaps, cracked teeth, and more, are among the problems that dentists can handle by conducting the dental bonding procedure, as long as they’re not too severe.

Teeth Bonding Disadvantages

The first and the most evident disadvantage to think about before agreeing to a dental bonding procedure lies in the severity of the problems that the procedure can solve. If the teeth problems are too severe, dental bonding can only make the resins around the bonded tooth (or teeth) break down. Hence, the durability of dental bonding becomes yet another disadvantage that you should think about.

dental bonding is unlike veneer, even though the results are identical dental bonding is one of the least durable cosmetic dental procedures that people can think about. Typically, we need to replace the bonds of our teeth every ten years or so, and not many people can commit themselves to doing these things. The “don’t” lists of things to be consumed are yet some other disadvantages of dental bonding that we should think about.

dental bonding may have the impression of sturdy teeth under the right dentist; however, it doesn’t mean that you should chew, eat, drink, or consume just about everything in front of you. Remember: The resin materials can stain.

Related article: How Does Invisalign Work

Types of Dental Bonding

The first dental bonding type, direct (or composite) teeth bonding, is the dental bonding procedure with the most economical price ranges among the three dental bonding types. This dental bonding procedure is also the most common and the easiest one to implement to restore the shape, colour, and other elements of the patient’s teeth quickly. The second dental bonding type, which is composite veneer bonding, is the dental bonding procedure that people consider the closest one to the definition of cosmetic procedure.

It produces the smoothest and brightest smile with the longest-lasting result under the correct dentist—no wonder it has become one of the most expensive dental treatments. The third dental bonding type is indirect dental bonding. In this procedure, the dentists may use the same resin materials as the ones for the direct dental bonding procedure.

However, the indirect ones require the patient to visit the dentist twice. The first visit is for the dentist to make the mould of the damaged tooth. Meanwhile, the second visit is for the actual implantation of the bonding materials.

Finally, we will emphasise that dental bonding is a cosmetic treatment. In other words, it can only fix the outer appearance of the affected teeth, and it is not meant to cure severe teeth problems.