Composite tooth bonding is a cosmetic dentistry technique that can do beautiful things for your smile. Dental composite is made of particles such as silicon dioxide or quartz, bound with a tough synthetic resin. It is blended so that it comes in different shades, toughness, and translucencies and so that, with the proper artistic eye on the part of the dentist, it can match your teeth. It is then used to close tooth gaps fill cavities, or eliminate spots, chips, and discolorations. It’s also great for an instant repair of a broken front tooth.
HOW IS COSMETIC TEETH BONDING DONE?
Unlike porcelain veneers, that are made of porcelain that has to be baked in an oven by a dental laboratory, teeth bonding is applied directly to the tooth and cured to its final hardness, usually with a light. In order to help the composite bond to the tooth, the tooth is prepared by lightly roughening the area to be repaired, which usually doesn’t require anesthetic. Then the surface of the tooth is etched, a thin, clear bonding agent is applied, and then the composite is applied. Dental
composites are made of acrylic resins impregnated with inorganic fillers, as mentioned above. They are made to a paste-like consistency so that they can be sculpted to the proper shape. They contain different pigments that can be matched to your tooth color, and they also come in varying degrees of translucency and are usually made so that they can be polished to a high gloss. This composite is applied to your tooth. Often several layers of different shades and translucencies need to be used in order to duplicate the depth of color and the color gradations that occur in natural teeth. Composites also contain photoinitiators so that they will harden under a high-intensity curing light.
With careful artistry, composite can be used to faithfully mimic the color details and translucency of your tooth, and polished to a beautiful shine. But a strong caution is in order here for the dental patient: While any general dentist can legally announce that he or she is a “cosmetic dentist,” and many dentists do white fillings, we recommend that any patient who wants cosmetic teeth bonding only go to a dentist with a strong artistic inclination and extensive post-graduate training in cosmetic dentistry. The teeth bonding techniques required to do composite bonding well are not required training of general dentists.
ArrivaCostaRica.com is the primary web site for information about plastic surgery and dentistry in Costa Rica. See www.arrivacostarica.com
Tags: Dental, Tooth Bonding