The Pros and Cons of Dental Bonding

Dental bonding is a popular solution for anyone who needs to restore or improve a tooth that has minor damage or blemishes. There are numerous solutions for restoring teeth, but dental bonding tends to be popular since placing it takes one visit to the dentist's office.

When trying to decide between bonding and other solutions like veneers or a dental crown it is important to understand the pros and cons of each option. Here is what you need to know about dental bonding.

Pros of dental bonding

#1. They can be placed the same day

For anyone who cracks or chips a tooth, it may be important to repair the tooth immediately. Doing so can help to prevent the tooth from becoming infected and make it possible to begin eating again without discomfort. Bonding can be placed immediately, which is highly beneficial. By the time the appointment is over, a patient will have a tooth that can be used to bite down without an issue.

#2. It looks natural

The tooth-colored bonding material is designed to blend in with the natural tooth without it being obvious that a repair was made. This way, the bonding material can be placed only in the area of the tooth that needs to be restored without recovering all of it.

#3. Bonding material is non-invasive

With a solution like dental crowns or dental veneers, more of the enamel needs to be removed from the healthy portion of the tooth. Once enamel is taken away, it cannot grow back. This makes crowns and veneers more invasive. With dental bonding, the tooth structure only needs to be roughened slightly for the bonding material to be applied. This means that the majority of the tooth structure will remain intact, something that can be beneficial for anyone who is unsure of how they want to restore the tooth permanently.

#4. It is easy to care for a tooth that has bonding material on it

All you need to do is brush and floss like normal and be careful when it comes to avoiding anything that could damage a natural tooth. For example, the bonding material can sustain damage just like a natural tooth, if one bites down on a pencil.

Cons of dental bonding

The negatives of dental bonding come down to durability and longevity. A crown will typically last longer than dental bonding will. Additionally, bonding can be slightly more fragile since it only covers a portion of the tooth, rather than the entire tooth. Finally, as the composite resin begins to wear down, there may be an obvious difference between the portion of the tooth that was restored and the natural tooth structure.

Learn more

To learn more about how dental bonding can be used to restore or improve the appearance of your teeth, call our office and schedule a consultation. We would be happy to go over this and other options so that you can make an informed decision.