Composite bonding in Burwood

The treatment

What composite bonding is

Composite resin is the same material used for white fillings. Your dentist layers it onto the tooth, shapes it by hand, and hardens each layer with a curing light. It is then smoothed and polished so the surface and shine sit with the teeth around it.

Most bonding is done in a single visit and usually needs no anaesthetic, because in many cases little or no tooth structure is removed. Where the surface does need roughening, or a small amount of enamel taken back so the finished tooth is not left bulky, that part is not reversible. Your dentist will tell you before you start whether your case needs it.

Bonding sits alongside veneers, whitening and orthodontics as one option among several. Which one suits you depends on what is actually bothering you about the tooth.

Scope

What bonding can and cannot do

If a simpler or more durable option would serve you better, we will say so. Bonding a tooth that would be better treated another way is not in your interest, and we would rather tell you at the consultation than after the work is done.

The appointment

How a bonding appointment runs

1. Assessment first

   We examine the tooth and the ones either side, check the bite, and take radiographs if they are needed. Bonding goes on top of a healthy tooth, so any decay or gum problem is dealt with before cosmetic work starts.

2. Shade and shape

   We match the resin shade in natural light and agree what you want changed. If several teeth are involved we talk through the shape before anything is applied.

3. Building the tooth

   The surface is prepared, then the resin is layered on, shaped and set. A single tooth is usually quick; several teeth take longer and may be split across visits.

4. Finishing

   The bonding is trimmed, the bite is checked and adjusted, then everything is polished. You can eat and drink normally straight afterwards.

5. Review

   We look at it again at your next check up, adjust the polish if it needs it, and keep an eye on the margins over time.

Over time

How long bonding lasts, and what it needs

Composite is not as hard as enamel and it is not permanent. How long a repair lasts depends on where it sits in the mouth, how heavily you bite, whether you grind your teeth, and what you eat and drink. Bonding on a biting edge takes more load than bonding on a surface that does not meet the opposing tooth.

Expect it to need attention at some point: a polish, a repair, or replacement. Resin also picks up stain over the years, particularly from coffee, tea, red wine and smoking, and unlike natural enamel it does not lighten with whitening gel. If you are planning to whiten, whiten first and match the bonding to the result, because bonding done beforehand will stay the shade it was.

Looking after it is ordinary brushing and cleaning between the teeth, plus avoiding the things that break it: biting nails, opening packaging with your teeth, and chewing ice or pens. If you grind, a night guard protects the work.

Risks and suitability

What you should know before you decide

Composite bonding is a low risk treatment compared with most dental work, but it is not risk free and part of it may not be reversible. The things worth knowing:

• Composite chips, wears and can debond, especially on a biting edge or if you grind your teeth.
• It stains over time and does not respond to whitening, so the shade match can drift from your natural teeth.
• Where enamel is roughened or reduced to avoid a bulky result, that change is permanent and the tooth will always need something on it.
• Some people get short lived sensitivity afterwards.
• Resin at the gum line can trap plaque if it is overcontoured, which can irritate the gum, so the finish and your cleaning both matter.
• Colour matching is done by eye and is not always exact, particularly against a single very light or very dark neighbouring tooth.

Cost

What changes the cost

We do not publish a single figure for bonding, because the work behind the word varies so much. One chipped corner and a full set of front teeth are the same treatment described the same way, and they are not comparable jobs.

What moves it: how many teeth are involved, how much of each tooth is being rebuilt, whether the bite needs adjusting, and whether anything has to be treated first. After an examination you get a written treatment plan with an itemised fee, what it covers and what it does not, so you can decide with the figure in front of you rather than on the day.

Health funds with extras cover often contribute to composite restorations, and what you get back depends on your own level of cover. We have HICAPS at reception so your fund can be claimed on the spot. Payment plan options are set out on their own page.

Your dentist

Who does this work at Burwood

Composite bonding and veneer work at the practice is carried out by Dr Pelin Montero and Dr Hadeel Ibrahim, who are both dentists holding general registration with the Dental Board of Australia through AHPRA. No dentist at this practice holds specialist registration, and cosmetic dentistry is not a recognised dental specialty in Australia, so you will not see the word specialist used here.

The practice has been on Burwood Road since the 1940s, is independently owned by Dr Samuel Gidaro, and is accredited under the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards through QIP. You can check any practitioner's registration yourself on the AHPRA register at ahpra.gov.au.

Questions

Composite bonding questions