When you look at your teeth in the mirror, are you happy with what you see? Even if your teeth are healthy, the most minor flaws can impact their appearance. Because of this, you might not be delighted with your smile. Even if the flaws don’t affect your oral health, they can still impact your confidence.
The great news is that you don’t have to live with them. At Advanced Dental Associates, we can completely transform your teeth with teeth bonding in San Antonio, TX. Bonding is one of the cosmetic dentistry procedures we offer to the public in San Antonio.
When Should Bonding Be Considered?
Dental bonding aims to reshape your teeth, altering their appearance into a more aesthetically pleasing shape. In doing so, the procedure helps improve your smile’s overall appearance.
It is a cosmetic treatment that can improve teeth with small cracks, gaps between them, or size discrepancies. It cannot fix larger issues. In cases of more significant damage, an alternative treatment may be necessary.
Teeth Bonding in San Antonio, TX
Bonding uses a tooth-colored composite resin material. At first, the material is almost like putty. This allows us to change its shape to fit the needs of your teeth.
Before applying the composite resin, we apply the phosphoric acid where the bonding will be placed. This etches the tooth enamel, making it rough so that the composite resin will effectively remain in place.
The soft composite resin is then applied to your teeth. We shape it to alter and improve the appearance of your teeth. Once you are satisfied with the results, a light hardens the material.
The final step is polishing the composite resin smoothly. The results are nothing short of incredible.
What are the Pros and Cons of Bonding?
One of the greatest benefits of bonding is that it is one of the most affordable cosmetic procedures. It is also completely painless. It requires the least amount of tooth enamel removal. In fact, instead of removing enamel, phosphoric acid prepares your teeth for treatment.
This differs from treatments like porcelain veneers and ceramic crowns, where we must remove bits of your tooth enamel to place the restorations properly. To top it all off, the procedure is very quick.
You only need one appointment. We can generally complete bonding in about 30 minutes. You may only need about an hour for those requiring a bit more work.
There are also a few disadvantages to keep in mind as well. While bonding is effective, it is not the strongest treatment available. It is susceptible to cracking or breaking under too much pressure.
Additionally, bonding can stain. If you drink a lot of coffee or smoke cigarettes, your bonding can discolor over time.
This is because the composite resin is porous. If your bonding becomes discolored, it must be replaced to maintain your gorgeous smile. The material cannot be whitened.
If you want to learn more about bonding and whether or not it is the right solution for your teeth, contact Advanced Dental Associates at (210) 655-2753 to schedule your appointment today.