For many cosmetic dental concerns, the most appropriate treatment is the one that offers maximum results with minimal changes to your healthy, natural tooth structure. With cosmetic tooth bonding, many patients can achieve this with optimal results. Designed to address a multitude of different tooth concerns, bonding consists of applying tooth-colored composite resin to the surface of a tooth, then sculpting and hardening it to match the tooth’s healthy size, shape, contour, and appearance. In addition to improving the tooth’s appearance, this can also be a highly effective and conservative way to restore a tooth when its structure is damaged.

Their overall appearance when they’re blemished

One of the most common uses for tooth bonding is to improve the appearance of a tooth that’s cosmetically blemished. For example, if a tooth becomes discolored and doesn’t respond to teeth-whitening, then tooth-colored composite resin might be applied to the discolored area of the tooth. This can restore the tooth’s healthy, blemish-free appearance without having to modify the tooth’s healthy, natural structure. Cosmetic tooth bonding can also be recommended for other types of blemishes, including chipped teeth, minor spacing issues, and more.

Their size and shape when they’re damaged

Conditions like a chipped tooth, or one that’s been worn down excessively, can seem cosmetic at first because of their appearance. When damage to your tooth is minor, cosmetic treatment may provide an appropriate solution, but the threat may be more than just cosmetic in nature. For instance, when a tooth becomes chipped or worn down, it loses some of its structural integrity. Made weaker by the blemish, the tooth could be more vulnerable to more extensive damage, or to developing a case of tooth decay, or worse. In some cases, bonding a chipped or worn tooth can restore its structural integrity with optimal results.

Their symmetry when a tooth is misshapen

When a tooth is damaged, the nature of the damage could impact the tooth’s symmetry and, as a result, your bite’s overall balance. This symmetry might also be impacted by other factors, such as a tooth being slightly misshapen. For instance, if the tooth is too small compared to those that are around it, then custom-designed tooth bonding might offer a conservative solution for bulking up its structure and improving your smile’s overall contour.

Learn how bonding can fix your tooth

Tooth bonding is often a cosmetic treatment, but the durability of the resin can also have several benefits for restoring your tooth more conservatively. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, call Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, IA, today at (319) 364-7108.