Austin dentist, Dentist in Austin, TX

Bonding/White Fillings

A bonding is a composite resin that is used as an alternative to amalgams and veneers. This is an excellent cosmetic option for those patients who do not want the look of silver in their mouths and do not want the expense of veneers. Bonding can be used on teeth that are decayed, cracked, or stained.

My opinion is that porcelain veneers are in some cases the weakest restorations in dentistry. They are beautiful but very thin structures which can lose their bond with the tooth structure and are subjected to very strong forces when eating. Sometimes people use their teeth as a tool for just an instant and the porcelain breaks.

This is not to say that I don’t make them or recommend them but patients should always be mindful of how they use them.

Some cosmetic procedures are very simple and inexpensive. Reshaping and contouring natural teeth can be done in minutes and can yield dramatic results.

Simple bonding of front teeth with tooth colored filling material to close spaces or repair broken edges can often be performed.

Pictured here is a patient on whom we placed composite fillings on four of the teeth and porcelain veneers on two of the teeth, the lateral incisors. The result was excellent, the treatment was conservative, and the cost was far less that placing porcelain veneers on all teeth.

I always try to be conservative in my approach, I plan treatment based on what I would want done for myself.

The bonding procedure is usually completed in one visit. The first step is to remove the decayed or unsightly portion of the tooth. The tooth is then etched with a liquid or gel and a bonding agent is then applied. This will allow the composite resin to be placed in the prepared tooth. The resin is then trimmed and polished, leaving you with a beautifully sculpted, natural-looking restoration.