When you chip or crack a tooth, you want a quick way to make your tooth whole again. You also want your tooth to look natural. Dental bonding, also known as teeth bonding or cosmetic bonding, is a common cosmetic dentistry treatment. Horizon Family Dental Care offers teeth bonding in Baltimore, MD, to fix chipped and cracked teeth.

This procedure can improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile. Cosmetic bonding can fix many cosmetic concerns that affect your smile, like uneven teeth, tooth gaps, and stained teeth.

Our dentist can assess your teeth to determine if cosmetic bonding is the right treatment for you. The treatment is fast, cost-effective, and offers functional and cosmetic benefits. We also personalize treatment to you. If you have one or more teeth you want to change, we can provide non-invasive care with tooth bonding.

What is Teeth Bonding?

Teeth bonding involves applying a tooth-colored composite resin material to the surface of your tooth. Our cosmetic dentist will then shape and polish it to match your surrounding teeth. We can also apply dental bonding to the back or front teeth.

The composite resin bonds securely to the tooth and effectively conceals imperfections for a seamless look. Our dentist can use dental bonding to address minor cosmetic concerns. This makes it an excellent cosmetic dental procedure if you want to improve your smile without invasive procedures. Bonding can treat:

• Chipped teeth
• Cracked teeth
• Stained teeth
• Uneven teeth
• Small tooth gaps
• Slightly crooked teeth

Tooth bonding will cover these teeth with a tooth-colored resin. We color-match this material to blend in with the other teeth in your mouth. Our dentist will also ensure the treated tooth is a natural shape and size.

Is Teeth Bonding Right For Me?

We often recommend dental bonding for patients seeking a simple and affordable solution to address minor dental issues. Bonding can be a great option for many people, but how do you know if it’s right for you? Here are a few signs that you may be a good candidate for dental bonding:

• You Have Minor Tooth Flaws: Bonding is best for small dental issues like chipped, cracked, stained, or uneven teeth. It’s also a good fix for teeth with jagged edges or small spaces between them. The bonding material blends in with your natural teeth, so you can improve your teeth without major dental work.
• You Want a Simple Fix: If you want to improve your smile without significantly altering your natural teeth, bonding is a good choice. Other options like dental crowns or porcelain veneers usually require shaving down part of the tooth. Bonding is a less invasive procedure that doesn’t make permanent changes to your teeth. We can remove or replace it later if needed.
• You Want a Whiter Smile: If you’re considering whitening your teeth, it’s best to do so before bonding. Once your teeth are the shade you like, we can match the bonding material to your new tooth color.
• You Have Healthy Teeth and Gums: To get the best results from bonding, your teeth and gums must be in good shape. You’ll also need to brush and floss every day. Good oral health will keep your bonded teeth looking bright and lasting longer.

Teeth Bonding in Baltimore, MD

The tooth bonding procedure is simple. Our Baltimore dentist can complete it in a single visit that lasts about 30 to 60 minutes per tooth.

First, our dentist selects a color of bonding material that closely matches your natural teeth. This helps make sure the final result looks as natural as possible. Next, we’ll gently roughen the surface of your tooth and apply a special conditioning liquid. Tooth preparation helps the bonding material stick to your tooth properly.

Once your tooth is ready, our dentist will apply the tooth-colored resin, which looks like a soft, putty-like material. We’ll carefully shape and smooth the resin to match the natural shape and size of your tooth.

After shaping, we use a special UV light to harden the resin. This light sets the bonding material in place and makes it strong enough to handle everyday use, like chewing and brushing. Once the resin is hardened, our dentist will trim and polish it. We’ll make sure it blends in perfectly with your other teeth and provides a natural sheen.

How to Care for Dental Bonding

Dental bonding isn’t meant to be a long-term cosmetic solution. It can last 3-10 years, depending on which tooth it is on and oral habits. Most dentists consider it a temporary to medium-term solution. However, bonding is more cost-effective and less invasive than other options, such as veneers. Bonding offers a quick, affordable treatment for a single damaged or stained tooth. To help your dental bonding last as long as possible, follow these simple care tips after your treatment in our Baltimore, MD office.

Practice Good Oral Hygiene

You can brush and floss your bonded teeth like your other teeth. We recommend brushing twice a day with a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Don’t forget to floss daily and visit your dentist every six months. Good oral hygiene helps keep your teeth clean and helps prevent staining.

Avoid Foods and Habits That Stain Teeth

Bonding material can stain over time, just like your real teeth. To keep your bonded teeth looking bright, try to limit your consumption of dark-colored drinks, such as coffee, red wine, tea, and cola. Smoking and tobacco products can also cause yellowing. You can drink some staining drinks through a straw and rinse with water after meals to help reduce stains.

Don’t Bite or Chew Hard Objects

You want to avoid biting down on hard items after you get tooth bonding. Don’t chew ice, bite your nails, or use your teeth to open packaging. You should also avoid hard candy and pen caps. These habits can cause the bonding material to chip or crack. After bonding treatment, we often suggest eating soft foods for the first day or two. Once you get used to your bite, you can slowly start eating crunchier foods again.

Keep Up with Regular Dental Visits

Continue to visit our dental office twice a year for regular check-ups. During your visit, we’ll inspect your bonded teeth to ensure they’re still in good condition. If needed, we can polish the bonding to keep it smooth and shiny.

What If My Bonding Gets Damaged?

One of the great advantages of dental bonding is that it’s easy to repair. Unlike other cosmetic treatments, bonding is reversible, which means it can be removed and replaced without harming your natural tooth.

If your bonded tooth becomes chipped, cracked, or stained over time, don’t worry. Our dentist can carefully remove the old bonding material and apply a new layer to restore your tooth’s shape and appearance. The repair process is usually quick and doesn’t require any numbing or drilling.

Contact Our Office

Fix small chips and single-stained teeth today. Visit Horizon Family Dental Care to learn more about teeth bonding in Baltimore, MD. You can schedule an appointment online by filling out the form. If you have questions about your treatment, please let us know at your next appointment, and we’ll be happy to help.