Tooth bonding

There are two basic categories of techniques in cosmetic dentistry: direct techniques and indirect techniques. Tooth bonding (also called dental bonding) refers to a direct technique, where the cosmetic dentist applies materials to your tooth, bonds them to the tooth surface, and shapes them to mimic the natural tooth.

	Click here to learn about the tooth bonding technique.
	Click here to see photographs of tooth bonding work.
	Click here to learn about the costs of tooth bonding.
	See how this can be used to repair a severely broken front tooth. You'll be amazed at one can be done in one appointment by an expert, artistic cosmetic dentist. Don't ask a regular family dentist to do this kind of repair, except temporarily.
	Learn about composite veneers.
	Can you get dental insurance to pay for this procedure?

Dental bonding can correct a tooth gap, can cover spots, chips, and discolorations, can repair fractures, and can re-shape teeth.

This is generally used for smaller defects in one or two teeth. When a cosmetic dentist does a complete smile makeover, generally he or she will use an "indirect" technique, such as porcelain veneers, and the veneers will be shaped and baked in a laboratory according to the smile design prescription of the cosmetic dentist, and then applied to the teeth.

Tooth bonding requires artistic ability on the part of the cosmetic dentist, since the work is done freehand with no outside help. Colors must be matched and blended, the tooth must be sculpted, finished, and polished to a beautiful result. We believe that patients should seek out specially trained expert cosmetic dentists to have this done. To find a dentist who is expert in these techniques, please see our referral page.

		Here's a sample of the type of artistry we are talking about. The case at the left was done by one of our mynewsmile.com network dentists, Dr. Gary Radz of Denver, Colorado. (For more information about Dr. Radz, please see our Colorado page.) Note how the bonding is imperceptible and how the whole tooth looks so natural—perfectly colored with a blend of natural colors, a translucency and gloss that matches the natural tooth, and is beautifully shaped. This level of expertise is not taught in regular dental school classes. Cosmetic dentists are artists, and tooth bonding demands full use of their artistic talents and training.
This tooth is discolored and chipped.	Here is the repair, done with a direct bonding technique
Here is another case done by Dr. David Hall, the creator of this site. Notice again the fine detail, the gloss, the mimicking of the translucency of the natural tooth in this work.


This tooth has a large chip	Tooth bonding restores the natural appearance of the tooth

Dental bonding is excellent for small defects in the teeth - spots, chips, or gaps between teeth. For smile alterations involving the entire tooth or multiple teeth, porcelain is the material usually chosen by cosmetic dentists.

We have a page about whitening toothpaste that leads to other information helpful in taking care of cosmetic dental work.

To read how tooth bonding is done and how a patient should care for it, please see our page about tooth bonding techniques and care.

Other information: porcelin veneers is a common misspelling.

Read about invisible braces.

Read Dr. Hall's blog posts about tooth bonding, where he answers questions from visitors.

Tooth Bonding