Smile Away: Dental Bonding for the Front Teeth By Bruce Wilderman on January 17, 2017

If your smile is the most important feature of your face, then your front teeth are its pillars. Of course, you want every tooth in your mouth to be radiant and healthy. However, your front teeth are the most visible and readily apparent; these are the teeth on which your smile will ultimately be judged. This is why there are so many cosmetic dentistry procedures available for making these front teeth look their absolute best, including dental bonding.

Dental bonding is one of the most versatile and transformative of all cosmetic dentistry procedures. It is also affordable on nearly any budget. When applied artfully by an experienced cosmetic dentist such as Dr. Bruce Wilderman of Artistic Expressions Dentistry, dental bonding can turn even the dullest, most discolored smile into one that is white and radiant, yet entirely natural looking. Perhaps best of all, dental bonding for front teeth at our Philadelphia, PA cosmetic dentistry practice allows for single-day smile makeovers. You can literally walk into our office with a smile that brings you displeasure and walk out of our office with the smile of your dreams.

Is dental bonding for front teeth right for you? To find out, we invite you to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Bruce Wilderman at Artistic Expressions Dentistry today.

What Is Dental Bonding for Front Teeth?

Dental bonding involves the application of a composite resin material, color matched to surrounding natural teeth, to the front teeth. This material is then exposed to a curing light which causes it to harden. Dr. Wilderman sculpts and polishes the bonding material so that it replicates the surface of a natural tooth as closely as possible in terms of its size, shape, and texture. Dental bonding conceals any aesthetic flaws in the front teeth, including chips, cracks, stains and other discoloration, and imperfections in shape and size.

Dental bonding has both advantages and disadvantages compared to porcelain veneers, which are also often used to improve the appearance of the front teeth. Unlike composite resin but like tooth enamel, porcelain is translucent, meaning that it allows some light to pass through its surface rather than simply reflecting all light. This gives porcelain a natural appearance that is unique among dental materials. For this reason, many people prefer porcelain veneers.

However, porcelain veneers also require the removal of a small amount of enamel before they are placed, something that dental bonding does not require. This means that porcelain veneers must be replaced if they become dislodged or once they have reached the end of their lifespan; they require a lifetime commitment. Dental bonding, on the other hand, is reversible. If patients prefer not to repeat the procedure in the future, they do not have to. And while the dental bonding material may not be quite as natural looking as porcelain, it still produces aesthetically pleasing results that are difficult to distinguish from natural teeth.