Cosmetic Bonding

Our case of the month for November is cosmetic bonding or teeth bonding which is one of our favourite treatments. For those of you unaware of the process, let us explain for you.

Essentially, the process of cosmetic bonding is completely pain free. There is no cutting of the teeth so the underlying tooth enamel is left completely intact. Now this is a huge advantage! Removing tooth enamel removes the hardest tissue in the body and weakens the tooth considerably. There is no going back. Over time, the loss of enamel can lead to bacterial infiltration which can lead to softening of the tooth dentine eventually causing active tooth decay, pulpal inflammation (nerve pain) and possibly even the death of the nerve. After this, root canal treatment awaits. Why risk this?

Cosmetic bonding is an additive approach where composite resin is layered over the tooth surface to enhance, protect and improve the aesthetics of the tooth or teeth. The tooth is usually washed and dried using a special process called 'tooth etching', a bonding agent will be applied and set with a blue light. We will use an orange filter which is for our benefit protecting our eyes; it is not a magic wand!

Once the tooth or teeth have been enhanced with the process, the composite must be polished. This can take a while but those final few minutes make all the difference.

That is a great question and depends on your bite and eating habits. If you eat a soft diet and do not grind your teeth at night, then the cosmetic bonding will last for ages. It will last even longer if a night guard is used. If you have a very heavy bite and have been diagnosed with bruxism (grinding at night), the composite will need to be replaced on a more regular basis. Nothing lasts forever and you will have to consider maintenance over the years and the associated costs.

We always advise tooth whitening prior to teeth bonding so that we can match the shade to the newly whiter colour. You cannot do this the other way around. i.e we cannot place a whiter composite and then do tooth whitening to match this shade. However, you can used whitening trays on bonded teeth and this will lift off surface stains quite well.

Here are the before and after photographs on our case of the month:

So here we have a simply stunning case and real smile makeover using this wonderful technique. The front 4 teeth were treated by Dr Nissit Patel using Empress Direct composite ; one of the best. For more cases, please visit the bonding page on our website.

If you are thinking of a smile transformation in 2021, this could be the technique for you. Please contact our dental practice in Fulham, London or arrange a free video consultation.