Dental bonding is a form of tooth repair that can help to reshape and rebuild damaged teeth. For the most part, dental bonding is not used to restore damage caused by a lapse in dental hygiene. A serious cavity needs more internal support than dental bonding can usually provide alone. However, if you grind your teeth at night or chip a tooth due to an accident, then dental bonding can help to restore your smile for three to ten years depending on the quality of your own dental hygiene.
How Long Does Tooth Bonding Last?
Dental tooth bonding uses a resin to rebuild the exterior portions of damaged teeth. This special resin can be molded by your dentist to perfectly fit your natural smile. It’s the perfect solution for dental damage that is largely aesthetic, yet that doesn’t mean it’s only an aesthetic solution. The curing process used by your dentist in Burbank makes the resin remarkably hard. As a result, dental bonding can easily stand up to normal use.
Caring for Dental Tooth Bonding
Despite their hardness and natural appearance, dental bonding requires the same care as your natural teeth if you want it to last. In fact, they need a little extra tender loving care if you’re planning to only have the bonding re-done every ten years. Here are a few rules of thumb for caring for your dental bonding.
Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day:
It’s important to brush your teeth immediately after breakfast and again once you’re done eating for the day. Use small circular motions along all surfaces, then use a gentle 45-degree angle to brush against your gums. Pay special attention to molars and other hard-to-reach places.
Floss Once Per Day:
Regardless of how well you brush, there are places where your toothbrush simply can’t reach. Flossing helps you to clear bacteria and food particles from between your teeth and around the gumline. For each tooth, gently glide your floss along the edge of the tooth, then follow the curve of the gum. It’s important to be careful, as your gums are quite sensitive.
Avoid Hard Foods:
Your dental bonding is tough, but it isn’t quite as tough as a solid tooth. It’s important to avoid hard foods like hard candy and meat on the bone around your dental bonding. If you do break your dental bonding at any time, you should blunt any sharp edges with dental wax before making an appointment with your dentist.
Avoid Extra Sticky Foods:
You should also avoid super sticky foods such as taffy and caramel. They can put excess strain on the connection between your natural tooth and the dental bonding. There is some risk that it could immediately damage the bonding or undermine its longevity.
Visit Your Dentist Every Six Months:
Once you have had your dental bonding in Burbank it is important to pay a visit to your dentist every six months. During your regular visits, your dentist will do a physical examination and x-rays as needed. This will help them to monitor the state of your natural teeth and dental bonding, allowing them to catch any problems much earlier.
How Is Dental Bonding Placed?
Fortunately, dental bonding is relatively easy to place. Your dentist will use a local numbing agent before grinding down the affected tooth to create a workable surface. A bonding agent is applied, and then your dentist will work the natural-looking resin into the appropriate shape for your tooth and bite. Once they’re sure of the fit and look, your dentist will cure the resin, solidifying its final form.