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Tooth Bonding
There are two basic categories of techniques in
cosmetic dentistry: direct techniques and indirect techniques. Tooth
bonding (also called dental bonding) refers to a direct technique, where the cosmetic dentist applies
materials to your tooth, bonds them to the tooth surface, and shapes them
to mimic the natural tooth.
Dental bonding can correct a tooth gap, can cover spots, chips,
and discolorations, can repair fractures, and can re-shape teeth.
This is generally used for smaller defects
in one or two teeth. When a cosmetic dentist does a complete
smile makeover, generally he or she will
use an "indirect" technique, such as
porcelain veneers, and the veneers will
be shaped and baked in a laboratory according to the
smile design prescription of the cosmetic dentist, and then applied to
the teeth.
Tooth bonding requires artistic ability on the part
of the cosmetic dentist, since the work is done freehand with no outside
help. Colors must be matched and blended, the tooth must be sculpted,
finished, and polished to a beautiful result. We believe that patients
should seek out specially trained expert cosmetic dentists to have this
done. To find a dentist who is expert in these techniques, please
see our referral page.
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Here's a sample of the type of artistry we are talking
about. The case at the left was done by one of our
mynewsmile.com network dentists, Dr. Gary Radz of Denver, Colorado. (For
more information about Dr. Radz, please see our
Colorado page.) Note
how the bonding is imperceptible and how the whole tooth looks so natural—perfectly
colored with a blend of natural colors, a translucency and gloss that
matches the natural tooth, and is beautifully shaped. This level of
expertise is not taught in regular dental school classes. Cosmetic dentists
are artists, and tooth bonding demands full use of their artistic talents
and training. |
| This
tooth is discolored and chipped. |
Here
is the repair, done with a direct bonding technique. |
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Here is another case done by Dr. David Hall, the
author of this site. Notice again the fine detail, the gloss, the
mimicking of the translucency of the natural tooth in this work. |
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This tooth has a large chip |
Tooth bonding restores the natural
appearance of the tooth |
Dental bonding is excellent for small
defects in the teeth - spots, chips, or gaps between teeth. For smile
alterations involving the entire tooth or multiple teeth, porcelain is the
material usually chosen by cosmetic dentists.We have a page about
whitening toothpaste that leads to other information helpful in taking care
of cosmetic dental work.
To read how tooth bonding is done and how a patient should
care for it, please see our page about tooth
bonding techniques and care.
Other information:
porcelin veneers is a common misspelling.
Read about invisible
braces.
Read Dr. Hall's blog posts about
tooth bonding, where he
answers questions from visitors.
Los Angeles Cosmetic Dentist
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