Archive for the ‘Dental Bonding’ Category

Can I save money by doing bonding instead of porcelain veneers?

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

I have yellow teeth (even though I brush after every meal) and the biting edges of my two front teeth have become transparent. I have completely ruled out veneers, because they are too expensive, and I am not willing to risk getting a fake looking smile for that cost. I would like to get bleaching, and then bonding. But what happens if my teeth start returning to their original yellow colour? Will there be a difference between my tooth and the bonding? I don’t even understand the bonding process,, can it be put behind my teeth?? Thanks
- Serena from Kuwait

Serena
I would strongly recommend against getting bonding as a less expensive alternative to porcelain veneers. Do the teeth bleaching, and leave it at that. Bonding, if done right, will be almost as expensive as porcelain veneers, and it will last only about one-tenth as long. This makes it a very short-sighted alternative. Bleaching will get rid of the yellow color. They won’t return to their original yellow color, but your bleached teeth will tend to pick up more stains as time goes on. In that case, you just keep your bleaching trays and do a touch-up treatment every couple of years, and you will keep that nice white color for the rest of your life.

Other links:
Oklahoma City tooth whitening from Dr. Kari Bender

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How should I have my tooth gaps fixed?

Monday, January 4th, 2010

I’d like to know if bonding can be as effective or look as appealing as Lumineers. I just got my braces off after nearly 4 years and have some spaces that wouldn’t close all the way.

My orthodontist recommended bonding to close the spaces. I had an appointment with the dentist this past Monday and she is saying that the bonding won’t look right and that it won’t match enough to appear natural and that there is too much space and that she recommends lumineers.

I have no intention of getting lumineers as if that was the solution then I would not have gone through the time with braces. Suffice it to say, I don’t think she has an extensive enough cosmetic background and/or she’s just trying to sell something else. I need to know if bonding is still a good option for me. It is the only option I am willing to consider at this point. The orthodontist left spacing across the front on the top specifically for bonding.

Thanks!
- Cornelia from Texas

Cornelia,
Do the dental bonding, not Lumineers. Let me explain why I believe this dentist is trying to steer you toward Lumineers.

Dental bonding has to be done freehand, so it requires artistic ability. Dentists tend to be technicians but not artists. So I’m sure what is going on is that this dentist is feeling very uncomfortable with doing direct bonding. And in many dental schools, they are very emphatic in their training that the dentist always needs to present a confident front to the patient, so she doesn’t dare say, “I’m just not very good at bonding.” So she says that it won’t look natural, etc. She also may be coming from the perspective that IN HER HANDS, the result would not look very natural, and she may not be able to match the color very well. Lumineers, on the other hand, are sold to the dentist as not requiring much at all from the dentist – the lab does it all – so she feels that would be a better way to go in her office.

When you just have gaps between your teeth, Lumineers are not only overkill, but they could result in your teeth looking funny. If done the way the Lumineers people recommend, they would make your teeth longer and bulkier. Dental bonding is very conservative, and is what we recommend for a tooth gap. Lumineers or porcelain veneers would have to cover your entire tooth. Bonding just adds the composite material to the sides of the teeth where it is needed to make your teeth wider.

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