When Is Dental Bonding the Right Choice?

If you have cosmetic dental flaws, such as a misshapen tooth, a gap in your smile, or a tiny chip, dental bonding might be just what you need. It’s a simple, effective, and affordable procedure. Read on to learn more.

Is your smile hampered by a chipped tooth, tiny gap, or pesky stain? Dental bonding might be your quick fix. It's a simple, affordable way to get your grin looking its best without major dental work.

Top-rated dentist Jason Ray, DDS., in Santa Monica, California, has restored countless smiles with dental bonding. No implants, dentures, or multistep processes—just tooth transformation that gives you your best smile. Here’s what Dr. Ray wants patients to know about dental bonding and the many flaws it can easily resolve.

How dental bonding works

Dental bonding uses a putty-like substance to restore your tooth or teeth. The material is colored and shaped to match your other teeth seamlessly. Once the material is properly shaped, it hardens in place. Dental bonding is popular, with an estimated 8% of Americans having had this procedure.

When dental bonding works

Dental bonding helps people with minor smile imperfections reach their smile goals. While you can’t replace a missing tooth with this option, you can choose it to correct a number of smile challenges. We use dental bonding to:

Correct cosmetic imperfections

Dental bonding can:

Close gaps between teeth
Fix chipped and cracked teeth
Correct misshapen teeth
Brighten stained teeth
Lengthen too-short teeth

If you have a smile problem you’d like to correct, book a bonding consultation with Dr. Ray.

Avoid dental challenges

Along with beautifying your smile, Dr. Ray can use dental bonding in some cases to stabilize a loose tooth, repair a decayed tooth, or protect exposed tooth roots. This treatment offers an affordable way to avoid more invasive, expensive dental procedures.

Making dental bonding last

Generally, dental bonding lasts between a few years and a decade. To extend the life of your dental bonding, dental experts recommend avoiding foods that could chip or crack your bonding and steer clear of biting directly onto hard candies, ice, and other sturdy substances.

Also, avoid biting your nails, chewing on writing implements, and opening things with your teeth.

To keep your dental bonding — and all of your teeth — as bright as possible, moderate your consumption of staining liquids like coffee, cola, and wine.

Always practice good oral hygiene by brushing twice daily, flossing at least daily, and visiting Dr. Ray’s office twice yearly for professional cleanings and checkups.

To learn more about what dental bonding can do for you, call Dr. Jason Ray's office today or request an appointment online.