Transitional Treatment with Composite Bonding

Boynton Beach dentist Dr. Jamie J. Alexander offers treatment with low-cost dental composite bonding when:

1. Dental composite bonding will result in a lasting dental restoration and/or meet the cosmetic objectives of the patient within the patient’s budget.
2. A patient has cosmetic concerns about their smile and wants immediate treatment to improve their smile, perhaps, for a job interview or special life event. Many times, the patient wants to have a comprehensive smile makeover that involves orthodontics and/or ceramic restorations in the future.
3. A patient needs extensive treatment, but interim, non-invasive restorations should be used to determine whether a proposed treatment will be successful. Through segmented (or phased) treatment using bonding, the patient’s smile and function are improved and tested before more costly restorations are designed, fabricated and placed.

No doubt, you are familiar with composite fillings. They are the preferred standard of care because they are tooth colored, long lasting, and strengthen teeth. They are also mercury-free. The resin dental material (composite) used in composite fillings can be used in more ways than just filling in cavities caused by enamel decay.

Dental Composite Bonding: The Process

Dental composite bonding is the process of applying composite to teeth. Using fine dental hand tools and magnifying glasses, Dr. Alexander applies the soft, tooth-colored resin, sculpts it, and smooths it. When the proper shape is achieved, the resin is quickly hardened and bonded to the tooth enamel with a dental curing light.

Because the composite resin comes in a large array of tooth colors, Dr. Alexander can match the color of the surrounding teeth. The overall effect is a color-blended, naturally beautiful smile. He also pays careful attention to tooth height and the occlusal surfaces of the treated teeth to allow for a harmonious bite.

Dental composite bonding can be used to change the shape of a tooth. It can be used to change the color of a tooth and mask deep stains. Rather than realign teeth with orthodontics to close a gap, composite bonding can be used to slightly widen teeth to fill the gap. When teeth are worn down, composite bonding provides a provisional way to test how well you will adapt to a new bite when your teeth are definitively restored according to a proposed plan.

Although composite fillings, buildups, and veneer-like masks, can last a long time, they are not as durable or as lifelike as today’s porcelain veneers, inlays, onlays, and crowns. Patients like the option of immediately improved appearance, health and function with composite bonding while they achieve more extensive dentistry over time.

In many cases, composite fillings in the grooves of molars and small amounts of well-done bonding may be all you need to maintain a healthy mouth and appealing smile for the rest of your lifetime. Many patients successfully do this.

Every patient is a special individual with a unique set of oral health circumstances, and Boynton Beach dentist Dr. Jamie J. Alexander uses his expertise to find the right solutions for each patient. We offer compassionate, nonjudgmental dental care in a friendly environment of personal attention.

If you are troubled by your oral health or smile, you owe it to yourself make a complimentary consultation appointment to learn what Boynton Beach dentist Dr. Jamie Alexander thinks is possible for you. Call today: (561) 739-4778.