If you are unhappy with your smile due to damaged, chipped and cracked teeth or you have larger spaces between teeth than you would like, then cosmetic bonding may be an option for you.

Composite bonding uses the same material as that used in white fillings (composite) but in this case it is used to change the appearance of a tooth. It is called bonding because the material used bonds to the tooth.

Uses for Composite Bonding

• To repair a chipped, cracked or worn tooth
• To close spaces between teeth
• To make teeth look longer
• To change the shape of teeth

What does the process involve?

We first need to prepare the surface of the tooth to create a surface that the bonding material can easily attach to. The bonding material is then applied to the tooth’s surface, shaped and sculpted to create a natural result. A special light is used to help the material harden and set. Finally the composite is polished to achieve the desired result. Your dentist will use a shade guide to select the most suitable colour of composite resin to match your natural teeth. Some patients choose to have a course of teeth whitening prior to this treatment as the composite material will not lighten if tooth whitening is sought at a later date.

Benefits of Composite Bonding

• It is a cost effective treatment
• It is quick and pain free . The treatment can usually be undertaken in one appointment and anaesthetic is not usually required unless there is decay in the tooth.
• The treatment is less invasive than options such as veneers as the integrity of the tooth stays intact.

Composite bonding is an increasingly popular treatment choice with patients.

Before and After Composite Bonding

In this case composite bonding has been used to close the gap between the top two teeth and to build up the two teeth either side.

In this case the upper teeth had been worn down. Following a course of tooth whitening, they have been built up with composite bonding.

If there is anything about your smile that you are unhappy with, please do mention it to your dentist.

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Kate Hampton

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