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What Is Composite Bonding?
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Composite bonding is one of the
most conservative, versatile and affordable ways to
esthetically restore a multitude of dental cases. Your
dentist uses this natural-looking, synthetic material
to:
- Restore cavities in front and
back teeth
- Replace old or unattractive
"silver fillings"
- Repair root abrasion (on roots
exposed by gum recession or notched by years of
aggressive brushing). Covering these areas helps
prevent cavities and root sensitivity, and improves
their appearance.
- Close diastemas (spaces between
the teeth)
- Restore chipped or fractured
teeth
- Improve or change the color of
permanently stained or discolored teeth
- Reshape crooked or misshapen
teeth
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How is Composite Bonding Done?
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 Decay
(if present) is removed and a protective coating is
placed inside the tooth. Then the tooth is etched
with a mild acidic solution. This roughens the
enamel surface and allows the bonding
material to adhere. A shade of filling
material is chosen that matches your natural
tooth. This tooth-colored bonding resin
is shaped to match the contour of your natural
tooth. Sometimes the dentist uses a
special light to help the material harden. The
surface of the composite is then trimmed and
polished to achieve a natural luster and appearance. |
What are The Advantages of Composite Bonding?
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- Appearance - The
most obvious advantage is esthetics.
Available in a variety of colors and special
shades, composite bonding can be made to
look as natural and pleasing as your own tooth.
- Strength - Composite
bonding, although not as strong as "silver
fillings," produces a filling that supports a
tooth, making it less likely to break.
Unlike "silver fillings" that depend on
undercuts to hold them in place, composite
bonding adheres to the tooth itself.
- Tooth Conservation -
In composite bonding only a small amount of
natural tooth structure, if any, is removed.
- Reduced Anesthesia
Required - Bonding usually does not
require anesthesia unless decay is present. Your
teeth can be restored with little or no
discomfort.
- Reduced Time -
Composite bonding is fast. The results are
immediate. It can usually be completed in one
appointment.
- Economics - By
performing bonding (which is less
expensive than full
crowns or
veneers) you save on dental bills over the
long term.
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How Long Will Composite Bonding Last?
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| It's true that
composite bonding fillings wear faster than
"silver fillings," especially on chewing
surfaces of back teeth. Although not as strong
as crowns or
veneers, with
proper care a bonded restoration may last five
years or more before requiring touch up or
replacement. Your dentist will monitor
this during your routine checkups. |
| What Should I
Expect? |
| Because the material used in
bonding is more brittle than your natural
teeth, it can chip. Avoid biting fingernails,
hair clips, ice, carrots, peanut brittle and
other hard items. Bonded areas are also more
prone to staining than your natural teeth,
so it is important to take good care of your
restored teeth at home. Avoid ingestion of
staining substances such as tobacco, coffee and
tea. With good home care and regular
professional cleanings, your composite bonded
fillings can remain beautiful and natural
looking for a lifetime. |
Before and After Photos of Composite
Bonding
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| There are many
reasons for replacing restorations.
In fact, most dental problems may
not be evident to patients. When you
consider the daily stresses exerted on
your teeth, it is not surprising that
restorations eventually wear out and
sometimes need to be replaced.
Sometimes, however, patients believe the
old adage, "If it doesn't hurt, don't
fix it." If left untreated, however,
dental problems can lead to more
expensive dental procedures and
eventual tooth loss. |
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Why Replace Outdated Restorations? |
- Wear:
Although there are a number of
factors that affect the life of a
dental restoration, the average
silver filling, crown or bridge may
last from five to 15 years,
depending upon the size. The average
composite (plastic
tooth-colored filling) may only last
half as long. Forces constantly
exerted on the fillings by chewing
and grinding cause them to wear
down. In some cases the porcelain
or gold in crowns actually
wears through from constant grinding
by the opposing teeth!
- Leakage:
Fillings may start to leak around
their edges due to wear and trauma.
Often leakage on the biting surface of a crown goes
unnoticed by patients. This allows
bacteria a ready access to the
deeper areas of the tooth. Once the
bacteria are inside the tooth
or crown, they cannot be
removed, and decay may begin rapidly
again. Worst of all, this damage is
often unseen and there may be no
symptoms until the decay has reached
the nerve (pulp) of the tooth.
- Recurring
Decay: Increased exposure
to the elements that caused the
original cavity make it possible to
get another cavity in the same tooth
near the original filling. (Even the
best filling is not as smooth and
impervious to decay as healthy tooth
structure.) If a tooth is not kept
clean, decay can start near
the edge of the filling or in
another site on the tooth. Even if a
tooth has a crown covering it, decay
can still start at the edges where
it rests on the tooth, if it is not
kept clean. As mentioned before, if
decay is left untreated, it can
eventually invade the nerve of
the tooth, causing an abscess,
which leads to
root canal or
extraction.
- Cracks:
A great deal of force is placed on
your teeth every day. The average
human bites with several hundred
pounds of pressure per square inch.
This biting pressure can result in
tiny cracks in the tooth.
Chewing on very hard substances,
such as ice or nuts, can crack a
tooth or filling. Often, you dentist
can tell when these cracks have
undermined another portion of the
tooth or gone too deep.
- Chips: If
the cracks are not repaired in time,
the tooth may break or chip.
Sometimes this will necessitate a
larger, more costly restoration.
Often, these teeth will require
crowns. Cracks can also form in the
porcelain of a crown. Thus,
chipped porcelain may
eventually brake off, as well. Your
dentist may feel it is better
to schedule a replacement crown
before this happens.
- Esthetics:
Over time, fillings begin to
tarnish (if they are silver) or
stain (if they are composites).
While this may not cause any direct
harm to the tooth immediately, it
does detract from the esthetics of
the mouth. Thus, some patients may
wish to replace their outdated
silver fillings with more
esthetic ones made of
tooth-colored composite or
porcelain.
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Periodontal
(Gum) Disease: Many
patients are unaware that most teeth
are lost due to gum disease, not
decay. If left untreated,
periodontal disease progresses, and
the gum tissues move lower on the
root. Eventually, bone is lost and
teeth become loose. In such cases of
periodontal involvement, your
dentist may find it necessary to
remove an old crown next to a loose
or missing tooth and replace it with
a new bridge.
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| A Final
Word on Replacing Outdated Restorations |
| It is in
your best interest to have small
dental problems corrected early, so
they will not become much larger dental
problems later. We are happy to work
with you to provide the best possible
care for your teeth, so you can keep
your smile for a lifetime! |
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Contact
Paradise Dental
for more
information about enhancing your smile
and restoring your teeth with
composite dental bonding. |
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