Cosmetic Dentistry |5 min read

How Long Does Dental Bonding Last?

Transform your smile for years to come with dental bonding

Tooth bonding is the easiest, fastest, and most cost-effective way to improve the appearance of your teeth. Surprisingly, it’s completed in as little as one visit. But despite the quick results, you’ll enjoy your revamped smile for many years to come.

So if you’ve been dreaming of a better smile, let us help you.

What is dental bonding?

Cosmetic dental bonding procedures are completed using a tooth-colored composite resin material to fix various dental problems. The material is applied to the surface of a tooth, shaped, and polished.

The result is a beautiful, confident smile!

Dental bonding is used to fix different types of breaks, cracks, and chips in teeth. It can even be used to correct spaces between teeth called dental diastemas.

For very large spaces in teeth or imperfections requiring excess bonding, your dentist may recommend porcelain veneers or crowns to guarantee a strong and healthy smile.

Check out this real patient who fixed her front teeth with dental bonding at Brookside Dental:

 

Real patient smiling showing dental bonding results at Brookside Dental in Bellevue, WA

The treatment

Step 1: We’ll prepare your tooth or teeth for treatment by roughening the surface to be repaired, and recontouring it to prepare for the composite resin material.

The surface roughening is performed to allow the resin to adhere properly to the tooth structure when it hardens.

Step 2: Once the tooth or teeth are properly prepared, our dentist will apply a mixture of two different materials which have an adhesive and a catalyst in them.

The putty-like composite material is matched to the color of your teeth. This is applied and sculpted on the tooth into the desired shape.

Step 3: To harden the composite resin once it’s placed on the tooth, a high-intensity light is used to cure it.

If the area to be fixed is large or deep, more than one layer of composite material may have to be applied and cured separately.

Step 4: After shaping the material, the newly fixed area is smoothed and polished to look like the natural tooth structure.

With our expertise in cosmetic dentistry, the finished bonding will have the same appearance as surrounding teeth.

Note: Any tooth whitening that is needed or desired should be done prior to the use of cosmetic dental bonding resins so that a matching color composite can be created.

The resin is not affected by the bleaching process and remains its original color. Generally, composite bonding is done on teeth after they have been bleached.

Treatment time

Cosmetic tooth bonding can usually be completed during one office visit, depending on the amount of repair needed and the number of teeth that need to be treated.

Some cases that are complicated or involve many teeth may require more than one visit.

How long does dental bonding last?

Bonded teeth can last for up to 10 years with good hygiene and extra care. For best results, avoid habits that increase the risk of a chip.

These include: chewing ice, biting nails, chewing pens, biting hard candy, etc.

Overall, the procedure and results are safe and feel natural.

According to HealthlineOpens in new window for Healthline website:

“The resin also isn’t as stain-resistant as other dental materials. You may develop some discoloration if you smoke or drink a lot of coffee.”

Brushing twice daily and scheduling routine dental cleanings can prevent problems.

Benefits of dental bonding

There are many benefits to choosing dental bonding to correct your smile:

Quick – The procedure can usually be completed in one visit. You’ll come in with your smile goals and leave with a new smile reality.

Long-Lasting – With proper dental care, teeth that have undergone bonding can last for many years to come. While not a permanent solution, it’s a long-term fix for a natural-looking smile.

Cost-Effective – Dental bonding is an excellent alternative to more extensive and expensive cosmetic dentistry treatments such as porcelain veneers, crowns, and bridges.

The cost of dental bonding

Cost is often one of the biggest concerns for patients. And understandably so.

Luckily, dental bonding is affordable, and the cost depends on three factors:

  • The number of teeth that need to be repaired
  • Scope of work and size of the individual areas bonded
  • Where the procedure is being performed; different parts of the country may charge different rates

Two other important facts about dental bonding should be pointed out.

First, very frequently, dental bonding will be at least partially covered by your dental insurance, because in many cases the problems are primarily structural rather than just cosmetic. Or they may be a combination of structural and cosmetic, where the structural would be given preference in payment by an insurance company.

Typically, strictly cosmetic dental work is not covered by your dental insurance. But since dental bonding can straighten, whiten, fill spaces, and generally improve the overall appearance of your smile, the work is usually worth the cost even if your insurance does not provide coverage.

Second, check the amount of advanced cosmetic dental study and training that a dentist has done, especially if you are having extensive bonding performed on your front teeth.

Even though there may be extensive structural problems, anterior (front) tooth work is always going to have some cosmetic dentistry component to it. Therefore there is both a technical aspect and an artistic aspect to dental bonding, especially on anterior teeth.

Dental bonding in Bellevue, WA

If you’re interested in learning more about cosmetic dentistry and what we can do for you, please contact us to set up a dental exam.

Schedule an appointment with one of our top dentists in Bellevue, serving surrounding communities of Seattle, Kirkland, Renton, Woodinville, Issaquah, Redmond, and Sammamish.

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This post was originally published in March 2006 and has been completely revamped for comprehensiveness and timeliness.