Federal Hill · Baltimore, MD
Bonding in Federal Hill
Tooth-colored resin that repairs chips and closes small gaps.
What bonding is
Bonding uses the same tooth-colored resin as a filling, shaped onto the front of a tooth to repair a chip, close a small gap, or even up an edge that has worn down. Dr. Ellis shapes and polishes it by hand while you are in the chair.
Bonding or veneers
They solve similar problems and they are not the same commitment.
- Bonding costs less, is usually done in one visit, and normally needs little or no enamel removed, so it can often be undone.
- Veneers cost more and permanently reshape the tooth, but porcelain resists staining better and holds its finish longer.
For one small chip, bonding is usually the sensible answer. For reshaping several front teeth at once, it is worth discussing both.
What happens at your appointment
The surface of the tooth is prepared, the resin is applied in layers and shaped, then hardened and polished. Most bonding needs no anesthetic at all, because nothing is being drilled.
Looking after it
Resin picks up stain more readily than enamel does, so coffee, tea and red wine will show on it over time. It also chips if you use your front teeth as tools. Whitening will not lighten it, so if you are planning to whiten, do that first and match the bonding afterwards.
Dr. Ellis will look at it and tell you what she thinks, in plain terms.
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