How Long Does Dental Bonding Last?
The life expectancy of dental bonding depends on some individual variables, such as the amount of bonding done, the location in the mouth and most importantly, your own oral hygiene habits. Let’s look at why you might consider dental bonding, what to expect from the simple process, the benefits of getting dental bonding completed and then the lifespan you might be looking at.
The Reasons behind Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is a cosmetic dental procedure. Unlike dealing with a cavity, plaque or painful infections, dental bonding has a simple objective, that is to improve the quality of your smile. How you perceive your smile has a dramatic affect on your quality of life. Quantifiable research has proven that if you believe you have a healthy smile it has an impact on several elements of your life. Your smile drives your personality and is foundational when it comes to your level of self-confidence and self-esteem. What can change your smile? If you have a cracked or chipped tooth, if you even have a broken tooth or if a tooth or several have become stained, dental bonding will remove these imperfections. It can close an annoying gap between two teeth, and it can cover up exposed roots from receding gums.
The Dental Bonding Procedure
A simple procedure that can be done inside of an hour, the dentist will seldom even need to use any local anesthesia. The tooth or teeth to be repaired initially has the enamel surface roughed up and then a conditioning gel is applied. After both you and the dentist chose the correct shade of white to match your teeth then the bonding process begins. A putty-like composite resin will be spread on the front surface of the tooth or teeth. It can be shaped, sculpted and finally smoothed as the dentist wishes. Then the material is hardened with an ultraviolet light and the last step is to finish with polishing. Just like that you have a new tooth or teeth.
The Benefits of Dental Bonding
We mentioned earlier that in a brief, one appointment dental visit you can dramatically change your smile. The process is both quick and reasonably affordable relative to the outcome. The bonding material is not as hard as your natural teeth so if you still love coffee, tea, red wine or smoke you must be aware that the material can stain. It can also chip if you chew on a pencil or your fingernails.
The Life Expectancy of Dental Bonding
The average life expectancy of the dental bonding process can range from three years to ten years. This depends on whether you had one tooth repaired or a number of front teeth. It depends on how well you take care of your teeth and if you limit some bad habits. Even though, it is not such that the dental bonding has run its course, it is just that the dentist may have to do some small touchups, or small repairs to restore the finished product. Maintain your dental examinations so the dental office can monitor your overall oral health as well as your dental bonding improvements.
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