Many dentists are uncomfortable doing direct tooth bonding, because it requires artistic ability. But for minor defects in the teeth, or a tooth gap between your front teeth, this is the best, fastest, and least expensive option for taking care of it.

Dr. Goldstein generally uses tooth bonding for smaller defects in one or two teeth. When you need a complete smile makeover, he will do porcelain veneers or crowns which will be made in a dental laboratory according to his smile design prescription. He uses tooth bonding to: correct a gap between your front teeth, to restore broken front teeth, to re-shape teeth, and to cover spots, chips, and discolorations.

The photographs below show what tooth bonding looks like. Today’s high-tech materials are not only very durable, but their color, translucency, and texture almost perfectly mimic natural tooth structure.

Tooth bonding is done freehand by the dentist. Colors are matched and blended, and the tooth is shaped, finished, and polished to a beautiful final result.

Here is an example of a typical tooth bonding case. This patient has one broken front tooth. To repair this requires roughening the surface of the tooth near the break and then using bonding technology to adhere the composite to the tooth.

The composite is matched perfectly to the tooth in both color and translucency, and when polished has the same luster. If you look at the repair closely, you will see that there is a band of very light color right at the biting edge of both the tooth and the bonding material.

Above that there is a more translucent zone, and above that there is a blend of colors fading into the tooth. When done right like this, you can’t tell where the repair ends and the tooth begins.

Here is a case completed by Dr. Goldstein. If this had been an adult, porcelain veneers would be the best option, because they are much more long-lasting. But this 14-year-old patient had just completed orthodontic treatment and didn’t like the spaces.

It wouldn’t have left a stable bite to have closed the spaces between the upper and lower front teeth, so direct freehand tooth bonding was the answer. Dr. Goldstein placed it in one appointment, and it looks great!

Tooth bonding is also good for what are called cervical lesions. Sometimes teeth will get cavities at the gumline. Sometimes, when there are teeth grinding problems, patients will develop little notches at the gumline that have no decay – they’re just placed where the teeth look worn away. These places can be very sensitive to air, cold, or to touch.

Not only does tooth bonding blend in with the color and make the teeth look better, but bonded fillings are very gentle on the tooth. Thus they will help alleviate sensitivity. They also protect the teeth from further wearing away of the enamel and dentin. Doing them well requires an understanding of bonding technology, as well as an understanding of color and translucency.

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