Dental Bonding in Palm Beach, FL

Why Choose Dental Bonding

Damaged teeth can be unattractive and may also hinder your ability to eat and speak. Dental bonding can be very useful for restoring decayed, chipped, fractured, or discolored teeth. Unlike veneers (custom-made porcelain shells that are attached to the front of the teeth), which are created in a dental laboratory, bonding can be completed in-office at Dr. Mitchell Josephs in Palm Beach.

Bonding is one of the easiest and most affordable procedures in cosmetic dentistry. It utilizes a composite resin material that can be shaped and polished to match the neighboring teeth. It is useful for improving the appearance of a discolored or chipped tooth, changing the shape or size of a tooth, closing spaces between teeth, or making teeth appear longer. It can also be used as a more attractive alternative to amalgam (metal) fillings or to protect a portion of a tooth root that has become exposed due to gum recession.

Procedure

Bonding is such a quick and simple procedure that it does not require any special preparation or anesthesia (unless it is being used to fill a decayed tooth). First, your dentist at Dr. Mitchell Josephs will choose the composite resin color that most closely matches the natural color of your teeth. He or she will then slightly etch the surface of the tooth using a mildly acidic solution. This lightly roughens the surface to help the bonding material adhere more securely. Applying a conditioning liquid further helps the bonding material to adhere to the tooth. The bonding itself is applied as a tooth-colored, putty-like resin, which is molded and smoothed into the desired shape and size before being hardened with an ultraviolet light or laser. Your dentist will further trim and shape it after it has been hardened to achieve the right fit with your bite. Finally, it will be polished to match the sheen of the surrounding teeth. The entire procedure will take only about 30 minutes to an hour to complete at Dr. Mitchell Josephs, though multiple teeth will require separate appointments.

It should be noted that bonding stains much more easily than natural teeth, so tea, coffee, and other tooth-staining foods and drinks should be limited and cigarette smoke should be avoided after you have had a tooth treated. For an effective solution for your minor cosmetic issues, however, dental bonding at Dr. Mitchell Josephs could be your answer in Palm Beach.