Adhesive Dentistry (Bonding)

Adhesive Dentistry (Bonding)

Cracked, decayed and chipped teeth are common but they can flaw your smile and create the wrong first impression. Whether as a result of brushing, decay or just bad luck, many damaged or disfigured teeth can be restored in a single visit. Because the dentist adheres the restorative materials directly to the teeth, this technique is called "direct adhesion" or bonding.

The advantage of this technique is that it preserves the existing natural tooth material. The procedures employed are totally painless and so no anaesthetic is required.

Here are some examples of what can be done with "adhesive dentistry".

Before	After

How is it done?

Cosmetic bonding is a process in which a composite resin is layered upon the teeth and then sculpted to the desired shape. The composite is a resin in which microscopic beads of glass are suspended. These give the composite strength and wear resistance.

Before Treatment	After the teeth are cleaned with an acidic gel-primer, the bonding agent is applied to make the tooth receptive to the composite.

The resin is then applied in layers.	Each layer is set hard with an intense blue light.

Once the last layer has been hardened the composite is then shaped and polished. After bonding, the finished composite is extremely strong and may be used as would any other tooth.

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