Our case of the month for March is a simple but great one- we love it so much! It features composite bonding which is a favourite treatment of ours. People often ask what is cosmetic or composite bonding. Well the answer is simple. For many years, dentists have been using adhesive technology to bond fillings inside of teeth. The same technology can be applied to the outside of teeth to make them look pretty! In essence, if a tooth is worn down, fractured, uneven or discoloured then composite bonding can be used to enhance the tooth without having to cut the tooth down or destroy healthy tooth enamel. After all, dental enamel is the hardest tissue in the body for a good reason. It is there to protect teeth- why on earth would we cut it all away? The old days of Extreme Makeover (remember that show) are over.
Often cosmetic bonding can be used for very subtle treatments such as our case. In this example, we treated the front teeth using Social 6 lingual braces to straighten the teeth first and then use composite bonding to enhance the smile line to even the edges, make pointed teeth look natural and camouflage the canine teeth which were quite pointed. There was absolutely no drilling of the underlying teeth, no needles were required, an entirely pain free process. Take a look at the difference:
The treatment was completed in one session, approximately one hour in total. The after care is simple; simply look after the bonding like you would your own teeth. Clean well, floss daily and try to avoid heavily staining foods to avoid discolouration. Maintenance is also very simple. If the bonding does become stained, like natural teeth do, then a simple hygiene visit and polish will remove this.
We use the highest quality composite materials which can be polished superbly. These include Empress Direct by Ivoclar and G-aenial by GC. You simply cannot use cheap composite materials! If you are considering cosmetic bonding this year and would like to discuss how this could transform your smile, feel free to arrange a free video consultation and we will talk you through the process.
Treatment completed by Dr Nissit Patel our Clinical Director.