You’re out at a Hendricks County restaurant. You bite down on a piece of ice from your beverage, and the next thing you know, you’ve chipped your tooth. Chipped or broken teeth can happen for a variety of reasons, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with an unsightly smile. Tooth bonding is a simple, and relatively comfortable, procedure to restore chipped or broken teeth.
What Is Tooth Bonding?
Tooth bonding is cosmetic dentistry procedure. During the process, Dr. Jon Erickson of Danville Family Dentistry applies a tooth-colored composite resin to the surface of your tooth to repair the area that is chipped or broken. Tooth bonding can also be used to repair decayed teeth, to fill in gaps in the teeth, or to change the color of discolored teeth. It’s called bonding because the resin material bonds to your tooth. However, the resin can be shaped and polished, so it matches your surrounding teeth.
How Is Tooth Bonding Done?
During your consultation, Dr. Erickson will discuss your treatment goals for the procedure. He will select a resin color that closely matches the color of your tooth, so the final result looks as authentic as possible.
During the procedure, Dr. Erickson will apply a very mild etching solution to your tooth to roughen it up. This helps the resin adhere to your tooth better. Once your tooth is prepared, Dr. Erickson will apply the resin, which is a putty-like substance. He will mold and smooth the resin into the proper shape to fill the area. Next, the resin is hardened with a high-intensity light. Finally, Dr. Erickson will further trim, shape and polish the material to match the appearance of the rest of your tooth’s surface.
The tooth bonding procedure can be completed in a single visit – usually within 30 minutes to an hour. If you have more than one tooth that needs to be done, you may need to schedule more time or additional visits.
Benefits of Tooth Bonding
Tooth bonding is an easy, relatively inexpensive (compared to other cosmetic dental procedures), and long-lasting way to fix chipped or broken teeth. If you want to restore the appearance of your smile, contact the Hendricks County office of Danville Family Dentistry to schedule an appointment to see if tooth bonding is the right solution to repair your chipped or broken teeth.
(317) 745-4400
