Dental Bonding at Hershey Family Dentistry

Dental bonding is a cosmetic dentistry procedure that involves applying a tooth-colored resin material to teeth to improve their appearance. It is commonly used to repair chipped, cracked, or discolored teeth, to close gaps between teeth, or to change the shape or length of teeth. The procedure is called “bonding” because the resin material bonds to the tooth.

The process of dental bonding typically involves the following steps:

Preparation: Little to no preparation is needed for dental bonding. Anesthesia is usually not required unless the bonding is being used to fill a decayed tooth.
Matching the Color: The dentist selects a resin color that closely matches the natural color of your teeth using a shade guide.
Roughening the Surface: The surface of the tooth is roughened, and a conditioning liquid is applied to help the bonding material adhere to the tooth.
Applying the Resin: The tooth-colored resin is then applied to the tooth and molded to the desired shape.
Hardening the Resin: A special light is used to harden the resin material. This process is also known as curing.
Finishing Touches: After the resin has hardened, the dentist will further trim and shape it, and then polish it to match the sheen of the rest of the tooth surface.

The entire procedure usually takes about 30 to 60 minutes per tooth to complete and can often be done in a single visit to the dentist. Dental bonding is one of the easiest and least expensive cosmetic dental procedures. However, the bonded resin material is not as strong as natural teeth, so it may chip or break over time. It can also stain more easily than natural teeth or other dental restorations, so proper care and regular dental check-ups are important to maintain the appearance and longevity of bonded teeth.