Received hygiene, examination and cosmetic dentistry here. Excellent staff who are friendly, funny and easygoing, but the quality of care I received has been the best. Calm and fun environment. Dr. Silver is an artist! Thank you South Centre Dental.

— Shy L, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Google Review

What is dental bonding?

Dental bonding, also known as teeth or tooth bonding, is one of the least invasive types of treatments available to get a better-looking smile in as little as one visit. Dental bonding uses a flexible material that is molded and shaped to your desired specifications, for example, the colour, shape, and size of your tooth.

If you are looking for an affordable, effective way to boost your self-esteem, talk to our team at Southcentre Dental about your options for bonding and other cosmetic services. We will complete a thorough exam and help you identify if bonding is the right treatment for you.

What can dental bonding treat?

Bonding is a versatile fix that can address a wide range of minor teeth issues like:

Cracks
Chips
Gaps
Spacing
Discolouration
And more

The Dental Bonding Process

The bonding treatment is minimally invasive and can be completed in as little one visit — averaging about 30 to 60 minutes in the dental chair. Many times, bonding can be done without any local anesthetic, but the dentist might recommend local numbing if decay or an old restoration needs to be removed.

Here are the typical dental bonding steps leading up to a more brilliant smile:

Initial Exam

We’ll begin by examining the damage carefully and check for the extent of the chip, break, or space, and if it lies too close to the nerve endings in the tooth. In the case that you have tooth decay, we may have to remove the affected areas by drilling.

Abrasion

Once the tooth is ready for dental bonding, we’ll roughen or abrade the surface of the section needing repair — this step is essential to prepare the tooth.

Colour Matching

Using a shade card, we’ll choose the right colour of resin that matches the tone and texture of your teeth. This process ensures that the bonding restoration blends in well with the rest of your teeth, so you won’t notice a difference between the dental treatment and the original teeth.

Attaching & Sculpting

An adhesive or conditioning liquid is now layered on so that the dental bonding material can adhere to the tooth. We then attach the resin and sculpt it, making sure that the new tooth looks and feels just like its neighbours. Since the resin has a putty-like consistency, shaping and forming it is easy!

Curing

Using an ultra-violet light or laser, we will “cure” or harden the tooth so that the bonding affixes properly.

Final Touches

Finally, the finishing touches are added as we shape and polish the tooth to match the rest of your smile.

Ready to try dental bonding?

Dental bonding will help perfect the look of your smile in as little as one visit!

Book Your Consultation

Benefits of Dental Bonding

Dental bonding offers more than simple cosmetic benefits:

Quick & Simple

Tooth bonding can be applied in a single office visit without the use of anesthesia, unlike some other tooth-repair procedures. However, it’s important to note that dental bonding is not as durable as the porcelain used in other treatments such as veneers or crowns.

Long-Lasting

Dental bonding can last between three and 10 years before it needs to be touched up or replaced! The longevity of your tooth bonding depends largely on the extent of bonding, the location of the teeth that have been bonded, and your dental hygiene.

Affordable

Bonding is an affordable treatment compared to other expensive cosmetic dental services. The low cost makes this treatment desirable for individuals or families with a tight budget.

Minimally Invasive

Only a small amount of tooth removal is required for dental bonding, making it a minimally-invasive treatment. Often, patients can have multiple teeth bonded in the same visit.

Little To No Downtime

Since we don’t need to use a local anesthetic, you can return to your regular schedule without taking time away from work.

Easy To Care For

For the most part, your bonded teeth will not require any additional special care aside from good dental hygiene practices. However, dental bonding material can chip and crack, so you should avoid bad oral habits such as pen chewing, ice chewing, and nail-biting.

How to care for bonded teeth

The success of your dental bonding treatment will depend on your ongoing care. Teeth with dental bonding should be treated in the same way as your natural teeth. For best results from the treatment, the dentist may advise you to take certain teeth bonding care tips such as:

Avoid tea, coffee, and any other beverages and foods that can stain the new bonding for at least 48 hours. Also, avoid sodas and citrus foods — use a good mouthwash recommended by a dentist
Have a soft diet for the next few days while the bonding takes time to set properly
Quit smoking to prevent staining from tobacco
Brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day. Keep in mind that any dental treatment introduces bacteria into the oral cavity for a short time
Visit the dentist for regular cleanings and dental checkups every 6 months
Contact the dentist right away if you sense that the bonding material is chipped or broken!
If you feel any sharp or rough edges around the tooth after the treatment, let your doctor know
If biting and chewing seem strange or uncomfortable, let the dentist know
Avoid biting on hard foods, especially if the bonding is fitted on the front teeth
Rinse out your mouth after each meal to remove any food and acidic particles stuck on the bonding

FAQs

The cost to correct a smile with dental bonding varies on the situation, location, dentist, materials used, and more. If it is possible to correct your concern with only bonding and not the option of veneers, expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $500 per tooth. However, bonding does not always provide the result you may be looking for. For this reason, we recommend a consultation with Dr. Silver to assess if you are a good candidate for bonding.

If you have minor cosmetic issues that are affecting one or more teeth, you may benefit from tooth bonding. Problems like tooth chips, gaps, or discolouration can be fixed with this simple process. We recommend contacting our dental office and scheduling a consultation with Dr. Silver to get a better idea if you’re a good candidate or not.

Results will vary, depending on the unique tooth characteristics of each bonding patient. If you take good care of your teeth and keep up with good dental hygiene practices, dental bonding can last between 3 to 10 years.

Teeth bonding can be done in only one visit, ranging from 30 to 60 minutes in the dental chair. However, multiple teeth may require a second appointment.

The teeth bonding material is a safe dental material similar to dental ceramic called composite resin. Bonding resin is applied in a putty-like form and is designed to become extremely strong and durable when treated with a special hardening light.

Yes, dental bonding is one of the least invasive types of treatments available at our clinic.

This minimally-invasive treatment doesn’t have any major risks. When the dental work is completed on the surface of the teeth, you don’t have to worry about the way the treatment will impact the root or overall structure of each tooth. However, a few minor risks could come up after the treatment is finished since the composite resin isn’t as strong as your natural teeth. Some minor risks include:

The bonding material can separate or crack if you chew on hard objects, so avoid biting hard food or candy, pens and pencils, fingernails, and ice
Drinking beverages like coffee, tomato juice, and red wine can lead to discolouration. Typically, dental bonding is not resistant to staining because it is porous in nature and absorbs colours
Smoking can also lead to staining and discolouration. Use the new tooth as an excuse to kick the habit because smoking can also cause tooth decay and mouth cancer
Remember not to use your new tooth as a tool. For example, to dislodge bottle caps

You won’t have to prepare anything before your dental bonding appointment. After a simple examination, the dentist will let you know if you’re a good candidate. As explained earlier, the procedure can be completed within one session. However, if you have extensive tooth decay or the damage is major, it might be advisable to opt for a dental crown or veneer. If you need a filling to repair the tooth, you’ll come back for a couple of sittings. To answer an important question, you can safely drive home afterward since you won’t need anesthesia. In case you do need sedation, the dentist will let you know in advance so you can get a friend to accompany you to the dental facility.

Dental bonding is a great option if you have no other dental complications and need a simple cosmetic improvement in your teeth. However, if your teeth have any decay or structural damage then we recommend porcelain veneers as they are much stronger.

About Dr. Jennifer Silver

Dr. Jennifer Silver has been helping improve the smiles of our dental patients in Calgary for the past 15 years! She understands we don’t always have a lot of time or a big budget for great looking teeth, that’s why she’s become well versed in dental bonding procedures at our local dental clinic.

About Us

Dental Bonding In Calgary

What is dental bonding?

What can dental bonding treat?