If you have a small chip in your front tooth and you’re looking for dentist near Leominster or Sterling to fix it, odds are, what they will recommend is dental bonding. Simply put, the dentist will bond a tooth-colored composite resin to your tooth in order to restore the cosmetics of the tooth. This procedure is not as simple as might seem, however. Here are some steps and considerations that go into it.
Bonding vs. Dental Veneers
One way to restore the shape or contour of a tooth is by putting a porcelain veneer on it. The veneer covers the entire front of the tooth, giving it a uniform shape and color. This option might be too expensive for some so bonding can offer a similar solution, though localized specifically to the part of the tooth that’s damaged.
Abrasion
The surface of the tooth is treated with tiny abrasive particles, blasted at the surface of the tooth in order to clean it and help with bonding strength.
Choosing the right shade of bonding material
The dentist will place small samples of the composite resin in the mouth in order to see which color fits best with the rest of the tooth. Once a match is found, the samples are removed and the actual bonding procedure can begin.
Etching the Tooth Surface
In order to improve the bonding material’s ability to adhere to the tooth the tooth is etched with a material that makes surface of the enamel rough. The now rough texture of the tooth is better suited to clinging onto the bonding agent and resin, holding it in place.
Dental Bonding
Once the surface of the tooth is etched and the etching liquid has bee cleaned off, the bonding agent can be applied. The bonding agent is the glue that holds the resin to the tooth. The agent is applied in thin layers all over the tooth in order to ensure maximum adhesion.
The resin is then applied in layers to the tooth and shaped carefully to fill in the chipped area of the tooth in a way that looks natural. All the while a curing light is periodically shone onto the resin to help the layers harden.
Final shaping
Once the bonding has hardened enough, it’s shaped using a drill handpiece equipped with a special tips for shaving down, shaping, and smoothing the hardened resin.
If you live in Leominster, Sterling or other nearby towns and are looking for a dentist to fix a chipped tooth, the dentists at Sterling Dental Group would be glad to help!
