The Art & Ease of Cosmetic Bonding

Cosmetic bonding in Ann Arbor MI

If you want a smile makeover that’s smaller and straightforward, but still has a big impact on how your teeth appear, look no further than cosmetic bonding. Our team of Ann Arbor, MI, cosmetic dentists can walk you through the process and have you on your way shortly after we begin!

Here are 4 reasons in favor of this type of elective dental treatment.

Ensuring Your Eligibility for Cosmetic Bonding

The cosmetic bonding procedure is ideal for patients who have minor cracks, chips, or gaps in their smile. Smaller restorations like these are best served by bonding and should be cosmetic in nature. For example, if you have a tooth that is more severely damaged, our dentists may need to turn to a restorative form of treatment like dental crowns.

Want imperfections corrected but not sure about going all the way and choosing porcelain veneers? Cosmetic bonding is a great compromise that still allows for beautiful, seamless results. It’s also more cost effective and may not require any enamel removal compared to other types of cosmetic procedures which means dental bonding is technically reversible.

Choosing Cosmetic Bonding Means You’ll:

1. Be In & Out in Good Time

One of the major advantages of cosmetic bonding is how little time it takes to complete the procedure. Depending on how many teeth are being bonded, it can take our dentists anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. By comparison, veneers require multiple visits to our Ann Arbor, MI, dental office.

Other cosmetic options, while they may still benefit you, tend to cost more than dental bonding. If you’re looking to close a small gap or fix a chipped tooth and feel veneers are a bit excessive for your needs, bonding may be right for you.

2. Keep More of Your Natural Tooth Enamel

Veneers and dental crowns both involve a more intensive process. This often equates to the removal of some of your tooth enamel. If this were a contest, bonding would win as it requires the least amount (if any) taken off.

Tooth enamel is what you see covering the outside of your teeth. Made up of a high percentage of minerals that enable its strength, enamel protects the more sensitive layers of teeth underneath. When removed, enamel for procedures, it doesn’t grow back.

Essentially, this means that your teeth are permanently altered with veneers or crowns. Any changes are generally irreversible. Bonding instead maintains more of your natural tooth structure while still fixing unwanted issues.

3. Be Saying Goodbye to Unwanted Tooth Flaws

Whether it’s a sports related injury from years back or you recently bit down on a piece of candy a little too hard, we have the solution with cosmetic bonding. Issues like gaps, cracks, chips, tooth discoloration, or irregularly shaped teeth can all be corrected.

The goal of cosmetic bonding is to have the end result look natural. This is thanks to a shade guide used by our dentists and the application of tooth-colored resin. No one will know by looking at you that you ever had cracked or spaced teeth.

Remember, however, that bonding is best suited for minor repairs or gaps. If the cosmetic restorations required are significant, we may suggest alternative treatment, such as Invisalign® aligners.

4. Avoid a Drawn Out Procedure

Dental bonding is less invasive and does not need much advanced tooth preparation. Because of this, it is a relatively painless procedure and should not require any numbing or local anesthesia.

Our dentists will start the procedure by roughening up the surface of the tooth and applying a special conditioning liquid. This will help the bonding material adhere to the tooth.

We’ll apply the resin, mold it, and smooth it to the desired shape before it’s hardened with a bright light. Afterward, our dentists will trim and shape the cured resin a bit more and finish by polishing it to match your natural tooth’s sheen.

Schedule Your Appointment Today

Our cosmetic dentists in Ann Arbor, MI, want your smile to be healthy, first and foremost, but once that box is checked, you’re free to enhance it how you’d like. If that involves cosmetic bonding, we can let you know every detail before moving forward. Call Excel Dental today at (734) 929-9999 to request an appointment.