How Long Dental Bonding Lasts
Dental bonding can be a great, non-invasive way to restore or change the appearance of your teeth. Composite bonding is used by dentists every day for fillings and chipped teeth. Composite veneers are an option for those who do not love the appearance of their teeth and would like to improve upon it. Whitening before receiving dental bonding can further advance your results and satisfaction.
What is Dental Bonding?
Tooth bonding is the application of a composite resin material directly onto the tooth surface to either restore the tooth after the removal of decay (a cavity) or to modify the structure and aesthetics of the tooth. Bonding is a quick and easy way to repair a chipped tooth or a gap between two teeth.
Veneers
Veneers are able to be fabricated out of porcelain or composite resin. Porcelain is considered adhesive bonding as a restoration is bonded to the tooth. Composite veneers are direct bonding as the material used for the bonding is the new tooth.
Porcelain veneers are a stronger, more durable option and also more expensive. They also require at least two visits to your dentist, once for impressions, prepping (shaving down) of the teeth and placing temporary veneers. At the second visit a couple of weeks later, your permanent porcelain veneers are placed. These can easily last up to 20 years and are a good investment.
Composite veneers are another option and while they are not as strong as porcelain, they can usually be completed by your dentist in one visit and do not require that the teeth be shaved down at all. The lifespan of composite veneers can be up to seven years.
Extending the Longevity of Bonding
Composite will not last as long as porcelain but to make sure you get the most out of either option, it is important to maintain a good oral hygiene regiment and to visit your dentist regularly for check-ups and to make sure your bonding is intact and healthy. Ask your dentist to fit you for a night guard to protect your newly bonded teeth from clenching and grinding, which can cause a lot of damage over a short period of time!
Practicing good and smart day to day habits will also help lengthen the life of your bonding. Teeth are not tools and should not be used as such! Use a knife or scissors to open packaging, not your teeth! That is a sure fire way to chip something and send you right back to the dental chair. Take care with chewy and crunchy foods, using a knife and fork whenever possible.
While porcelain is more durable, it is not indestructible so you will want to take the same precautions with porcelain as you do with composite. Porcelain can also pop off altogether and need to be recemented by your dentist. If that happens, get in as soon as possible so the tooth is not able to shift, rendering the veneer useless.
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