Patients looking for ways to improve their smiles have many more options today than they did thirty-plus years ago. One of those options is tooth bonding. Another is veneers. Both require an adhesive material, but they are two different procedures. One cosmetic dentist in Diamond Bar, CA, Furumoto Dentistry, helps define the differences between these two procedures and how they improve your smile.
Tooth Bonding vs. Veneers
Tooth bonding requires that a dental plastic material be sculpted and molded around an existing tooth to create a more perfect appearance for that tooth. It corrects the flaws with the said tooth by creating a new shape and closing gaps between teeth.
The bonding material is mixed to match the current natural color of your teeth. The dentist will not make it whiter than your other teeth because it will make the bonded teeth stand out when you smile. Bonding material usually lasts less than ten years and may need to be redone in the future.
Veneers are a little different. They are slips of porcelain made to fit over the fronts of your teeth. Generally, they are not applied to molars but just to the teeth that are visible when you smile. They adhere to the fronts of your teeth with a dental bonding adhesive that is not of the same material or consistency as the bonding material previously mentioned.
Additionally, the bonding material is mixed to match the same color as your other teeth. A dentist will not make it whiter than the teeth you have. Veneers can be as glowing white as you want them and do not have to match your natural teeth. Working with a cosmetic dentist in Diamond Bar veneers will last several years longer than bonding.
How Bonding Improves Your Smile
Bonding hides discoloration and bad staining very well. Calcium "stains" and over-fluoridation "stains" are hidden completely by bonding. Small cracks and chipped or broken teeth are disguised too. The bonding material fills in the chipped teeth and then is ground down and shaped to look like the tooth once did.
Adult teeth that grow in twisted "on the axis" are another thing bonding can fix. Essentially, these are adult teeth that grew in and pivoted a quarter or a half turn as they erupted. The bonding material is shaped around these teeth until they look like they came in straight.
If you have bonding done on more than one tooth, big gaps between teeth are lessened, although they can't be covered completely. Only Diamond Bar's veneers can completely hide natural gaps from view. However, considering how inexpensive bonding is when compared to Diamond Bar veneers, you may find that bonding is quite ideal and quite the improvement to your smile. Seek out a consultation with the cosmetic dentists at Furumoto Dentistry today.