Composite Bonding in Scottsdale, AZ
Composite bonding is tooth-colored resin shaped directly onto a tooth and hardened with a light. It is the least invasive way to repair a chip, close a small gap or even out a worn edge, and in most cases it is finished in a single visit at our North Scottsdale Road office with no lab and no temporary. S&C Dental offers bonding alongside composite veneers and porcelain veneers, and we will tell you which one your tooth actually needs.
What Is Composite Bonding?
Bonding uses the same resin as a white filling, placed in thin layers on the front or edge of a tooth and sculpted by hand before it is cured. Because almost nothing is removed from the tooth, it is usually done without numbing, and if your enamel is intact it can be repaired or replaced later. That is the main reason we suggest bonding before veneers when a tooth only needs a small change.
When Bonding Is the Right Choice
A chipped front tooth you want fixed today. A small gap you would rather close without aligners. One tooth that is a slightly different shape or shade than its neighbors. An old white filling at the front that has stained at the edge. If the tooth is cracked, mostly filling, or you want to change several teeth at once, a crown or veneers will hold up better, and we will say so.
What Happens at the Appointment
- Shade match. We choose the composite against your own tooth in natural light. This is the step that decides whether the repair disappears or stands out. If you plan to whiten, we do that first, because resin does not change color with whitening.
- Preparing the surface. The enamel is cleaned and lightly etched so the resin grips. In most cases nothing is drilled and no anesthetic is needed.
- Building the shape. Resin goes on in thin layers, is sculpted to the right contour and edge, then hardened with a curing light.
- Shaping and polishing. We check your bite, refine the edge and polish the surface until it reflects light the way enamel does.
A single tooth usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. Several teeth can still be done in one visit.
Bonding, Veneers or a Crown?
- Bonding. One visit, little or nothing removed, repairable. Commonly lasts five to eight years on a front edge. It stains over time and chips more easily than porcelain.
- Composite veneers. The same material covering the whole front of several teeth to change shape, length and shade in one visit.
- Porcelain veneers. Longer lasting and far more stain resistant, but a thin layer of enamel is reduced and that part cannot be undone.
- A crown. Structural rather than cosmetic. If a tooth is cracked or mostly filling, bonding will not hold it together.
If bonding will do the job, we will recommend it, even though it is the least expensive option.
Caring for Bonded Teeth
- Composite stains where enamel does not. Coffee, tea, red wine and smoking show at the margins first, so rinse with water afterward.
- Bonding does not respond to whitening. Whiten first, then we match the resin to the lighter shade.
- Do not bite nails, pens, ice or packaging with a bonded edge. That is how most of them chip.
- If you grind, wear a night guard. Grinding shortens the life of bonding considerably.
- Keep your regular cleanings. We polish the resin at each visit to keep the shine.
Composite Bonding Questions
Does dental bonding hurt?
Usually there is nothing to numb, because nothing is drilled. If an old filling is being replaced underneath, we use local anesthetic.
How long does composite bonding last?
Commonly five to eight years on a front edge, less if you grind or bite hard objects. It is refreshed or repaired rather than replaced wholesale.
Will the bonding match my tooth?
It should be invisible when the shade is chosen carefully and the surface is polished. Composite is slightly less translucent than enamel, which matters most on very thin edges.
Is bonding reversible?
In practice, yes, where no enamel was removed. That is the main reason to try bonding before veneers.
How much does composite bonding cost in Scottsdale?
Bonding is priced per tooth and costs considerably less than a veneer. You get the figure in writing before we start. Cosmetic bonding is not usually covered by insurance, though a bonded repair after an injury sometimes is. We offer financing and accept most dental insurance plans.