Having a flawless smile boosts your confidence significantly. Nevertheless, oral problems like chipped, discolored, or decayed teeth can lower your confidence and force you to shy away from public places or activities because you are self-conscious about your smile. You do not need to withdraw from society because of a lack of confidence.

South Coast Dentistry offers simple yet effective dental bonding services in Aliso Viejo, CA, to fix your teeth problem and boost your self-esteem. Bonding involves the application of tooth-colored composite resin on the surface of an affected tooth. The resin material replaces the missing enamel and dentin, enhancing your teeth' appearance.

Types of Bonding

We recommend two types of bonding based on your oral needs.

  1. Direct Composite Bonding

When you wish to fill cavities, close gaps in your teeth, build up teeth edges lost to wear and tear, or repair fractured teeth, our dentist will use direct composite bonding.

The treatment involves the precise placement of the composite material where the teeth are chipped or cracked. You only need to schedule a single visit with us, and we will restore the look of your smile. Nevertheless, if the damage to your teeth is extensive, you will require additional visits to our cosmetic dentist.

Also, you can have the direct composite material applied on the most visible teeth in your mouth if you are looking for a smile makeover. If you are looking for an effective and affordable solution to your stained, discolored, crooked, or misshapen teeth, you should use composite bonding instead or veneers and crowns.

  1. Adhesive Bonding

Adhesive bonding attaches restorations like bridges, veneers, or metal-free dental crowns to teeth. The bonding acts like glue and uses a bonding agent, an adhesive, an etchant, or a high-intensity curing light to keep the restorations in place.

Cosmetic Bonding Uses

One of the most affordable and easy-to-perform cosmetic procedures is bonding. In this treatment, your dentist applies composite plastic material around the chipped, fractured, or decayed tooth to match other natural teeth in your mouth. We encourage our patients who need to correct the shape and appearance of their teeth to opt for bonding because it repairs damaged teeth.

Similarly, bonding treatment is the answer if you want to fill in spaces in your teeth or make them look longer. When you have decayed teeth, you typically use amalgam fillings for repair. These fillings fill up the open cavities in your teeth after removing the decayed parts. The amalgams combine liquid mercury and copper, silver, or tin alloy. The other name for amalgams is silver fillings because they are usually silver in color. If you do not want the silver color in your mouth because of fear, it will affect your smile. We encourage you to use dental bonding.

Also, our cosmetic dentist will encourage you to opt for bonding as a solution to your receding gums. When gums push back from the teeth, they expose the pink tissue covering your teeth roots, causing problems with your smile and exposing you to other oral issues like tooth loss, decay, or infection. Besides, gum recession can occur due to poor tooth position from trauma or injury. Whatever the cause of the receding gums, bonding can help cover the exposed tissue area, giving you healthy and aesthetically appealing gums.

Another place we can use bonding is when your braces come off. If this happens, your dentists at South Coast Dentistry will use bonded retainers, thin wire pieces attached to the back surface of your teeth. Having a bonded retainer replace braces is advantageous because the retainers are not visible when you smile. Further, they do not come off quickly unless you visit your dentist for removal.

Bonding has many cosmetic uses. If you need this treatment, you must visit South Coast Dentistry for an examination and treatment preparation.

Examination and Treatment Planning

Before administering treatment, we must establish the type of bonding that will solve your problem. Therefore, you should consult your cosmetic dentist to find out if you are a candidate for bonding. During the consultation, the dentist will take and analyze your teeth x-rays and discuss any health or cosmetic problems composite or adhesive bonding can solve. Direct composite will be recommended if the x-rays show cavities, chipped, cracked, fractured, or discolored teeth. Nonetheless, if the dental damage is extensive, your dentist should discuss other options like crowns because composite bonding will not be adequate.

Sometimes, your dentist can recommend teeth whitening before composite bonding to ensure the natural teeth matches the color of the direct composite restoration. If, after consultation, your dentist concludes you need to undergo teeth whitening, you will wait for two to three weeks before the composite bonding procedure.

If you want to enhance your teeth' appearance by making them longer or altering their shape, your dentist must take impressions of your teeth for a better preview model of your smile appearance. An excellent dentist will show you the preview model to confirm if you are okay with the planned changes. They will utilize the model to attach the composite to your teeth if you agree.

The Bonding Procedure

Whether using direct composite or adhesive bonding, your dentist at South Coast Dentistry will begin by covering your teeth using a rubber dam to avoid moisture interference. If bonding is required as filler to a dental cavity, the procedure will be painful, so the dentist must administer anesthesia to numb the area around the cavity. The drilling in tooth filling sometimes reaches the nerves and can be extremely painful, requiring anesthesia.

Your dentist will then use a guide to establish the shade you want for your teeth and pick the type of bonding that matches your natural teeth. Once you have selected a color matching your natural teeth, the dentist will roughen the tooth by etching its surface. A phosphoric acid conditioning solution is applied to the rough surface to help the composite or adhesive bond material attach to the tooth surface.

For direct composite bonding, the dentist will apply a resin that resembles putty to the conditioned tooth surface and then mold and sculpt it to resemble the natural teeth. Utilizing a powerful curing light, the next step is to harden or toughen the restoration material. Once one tooth is cured, the dentist trims and polishes it to resemble the natural teeth. Bonding a single tooth takes thirty to sixty minutes. After the tooth is secured, the dentist moves on to the next.

The bonding process for a dental lab-made restoration entails properly integrating the adhesive substance into the restoration. Once the adhesive bond has been applied to the restoration, your dentist will seat it on the teeth being worked on and then cure it using an ultraviolet curing light.

Note that after the procedure, you will experience sensitivity that will disappear. Nonetheless, you should visit your dentist if the sensitivity persists.

Cosmetic Bonding Aftercare

Dental bonding will give you a long-lasting, attractive smile, but you must abide by the after-treatment instructions that your dentist gave you. We advise patients to refrain from eating foods that could discolor the material bonded to their teeth for two days following the procedure. Beverages like red wine, coffee, or tea can stain your natural teeth, meaning if you use them after the procedure, they are likely to stain the bonded material. Additionally, you are discouraged from smoking for 48 hours after a cosmetic bonding procedure.

Furthermore, your dentist from South Coast Dentistry will encourage you to avoid poor oral habits that can damage the gains made from the treatment. Be careful not to bite your fingernails or chew on anything difficult, as this increases the chance of your teeth chipping.

Do not hesitate to visit your dentist if you notice sharp edges on the bonded teeth. Again, if you clench or grind your teeth, let your dentist know about this to find a solution.

Our dentists will also encourage you to brush and floss your teeth twice daily and schedule at least two visits to the dentist annually for routine exams and cleanings.

Cosmetic Bonding Risks

A tooth that has undergone a bonding procedure will look better, but this does not make it as strong as the natural teeth. Poor oral habits like biting nails or ice elevate the risk of chipping. With proper care, the restorations can last three to ten years before being repaired or replaced. However, the lifespan hinges on your oral hygiene.

Also, bonding is ineffective among children. Hence, it is not recommended for cosmetic purposes. Children put all items in their mouths, which increases the risk of chipping, requiring regular repairs or replacement. Therefore, you should consider veneers or crowns rather than bonding if your child needs restorations.

Tooth Bonding Merits

Our dentists recommend bonding for cosmetic dental needs because it is less expensive and easier to perform than crowns and veneers. Let us discuss these two tooth-covering forms:

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are the right solution for your cosmetic dental needs if you have abnormally large gaps in your mouth or fractured or chipped teeth. A veneer is a thin cover or shell of porcelain or composite resin that attaches to the damaged tooth, giving it a beautiful shape. The veneer is molded to match the size of your tooth's contour. Once it is ready, it is attached to the natural tooth enamel.

Dental Crowns

Also known as a dental cap, a crown is a tooth restoration that covers the damaged tooth to restore its original size, function, and shape. Your dentist at South Coast Dentistry will examine your teeth before taking an impression to use in the dental lab to create permanent crowns.

Before placing the tooth crowns, the dentist drills the tooth in question to ensure the crown is a perfect fit. Once the tooth has been reshaped, the dentist places temporary crowns while you wait for the permanent ones to come from the lab. You will need an additional visit to your dentist to place the permanent crowns.

When you come in for the permanent restoration, the dentist will remove the temporary crowns and then permanently cement the final restoration to the tooth.

A crown is attached to the affected tooth to restore its strength, appearance, and functionality. The restorations are commonly used for severely cracked teeth or those with cavities. Crowns can also be a great solution if your teeth are poorly shaped, discolored, or stained.

These two ways of covering teeth reveal that impressions are sent to the dental lab for fabrication. With the two treatments, you should have an appointment with the dentist to examine and model the crowns. Also, you must schedule another treatment to place the permanent crowns.

Nonetheless, when you look at bonding, you realize that you only require a single visit to complete a bonding procedure for a tooth. Besides, you will not lose most of your enamel to reshaping and drilling. Cosmetic bonding is recommended for teenagers because it is not a permanent restoration. It enables you to correct oral problems and protect your teeth before full maturity.

Tooth Bonding Demerits

Bonding has its disadvantages compared to crowns or veneers. First, the bonding material is resistant to stains but not as resistant as crowns. Consequently, the bonding material is not as durable as tooth crowns, which can last 25 years. Bonded teeth are also more susceptible to cracking and chipping than natural teeth.

Because of these disadvantages, our dentists encourage bonding only when you have minimal cosmetic needs or want to temporarily correct a cosmetic defect.

Bonding Vs. Veneers

Both tooth bonding and veneers are excellent ways to fix cosmetic problems. Under particular circumstances, a veneer will suit you, while bonding will suit someone else. Both are excellent choices, depending on your cosmetic needs. Your dentist will discuss these options and choose the one that will ensure maximum results and the most benefits.

Veneers are best when you have multiple chipped or cracked teeth. Bonding is best when you have one damaged tooth that requires repairs. Bonding will be a better option than veneers in the following circumstances:

  • You have minor gaps in the teeth that you want to close
  • You have a small chip or crack that needs fixing
  • You have a discolored tooth
  • You want to reshape or lengthen one or a few teeth

Talk to your dentist at South Coast Dentistry to find a solution that will benefit you most from these choices. Generally, bonding is the way to go when you have slight cosmetic issues, while veneers are for major dental problems.

Bonding Cost

Estimating the cost of a bonding procedure can be challenging because it frequently overlaps with other dental treatments. For instance, the dentist would not charge you for the adhesive bonding necessary to finish the treatment when you need a metal-free implant. The bonding cost will be added to the overall cost of the dental crowns. 

However, if the procedure is entirely cosmetic, the cost of the bonding depends on your dentist's physical location, reputation, level of experience providing bonding services, and ongoing education. If bonding is performed in conjunction with direct composite veneers, you will pay $350 to $600 for a single tooth, whereas you will be charged $700 to $1,500 for a single tooth bonded with indirect porcelain veneers.

It would be best if you knew that insurance companies view tooth bonding as a cosmetic procedure and would not pay for it unless it is medically necessary. Each insurance company has a different set of policies. Therefore, contact your health insurer to see if your plan will cover some or all of your cosmetic dentistry procedures.

Choosing a Dentist for Bonding Treatment

Although dental bonding is a simple procedure, not every dentist in Aliso Viejo can be trusted to give you a flawless smile you desire. You want a cosmetic dentistry service that has offered bonding services for decades. If you have a list of names to choose from, request before-and-after pictures of previous dental patients from these dentists. Comparing the images will help you find the best dentist to restore your smile.

Also, you can request a reference list to contact these previous clients directly and find out their experiences in the hands of the dentist you are considering. If you come across a dentist whose majority of clients are happy with the services, you should consider the dental expert for your bonding procedure.

You should also find a dentist knowledgeable about cosmetic dentistry and the advantages of having a radiant smile. To help you achieve a perfect smile, South Coast Dentistry has the expertise, knowledge, and understanding of bonding services.

Find the Right Cosmetic Dentistry Service Near Me

If you are unhappy with your smile or the look of your teeth, reach out to South Coast Dentistry at 949-274-9086. Our cosmetic dentists are dedicated to fixing cosmetic defects to save money and give you radiant teeth and the confidence you want. Reach out to us today at Aliso Viejo, CA, to arrange a zero-obligation exam and find the proper treatment for you.