Dental bonding is a safe, fast, affordable and minimally invasive dental treatment that involves minor corrective work to revitalize your smile. But, it is important to know if you are a candidate for dental bonding to make sure it is the right investment for you. If you have minor aesthetic imperfections, you may qualify for a dental bonding procedure. It can efficiently conceal dental flaws like stained, chipped, crooked, and misaligned teeth but the treatment is not for everyone.

Dental bonding is primarily for those with:

• • Chipped TeethA chipped tooth can be caused by a sporting injury, an accident, or a car crash but dental bonding can efficiently treat a chipped tooth and improve esthetics while protecting the tooth from further damage. Dental bonding replaces the lost tooth material with composite resin that invisibly blends with your tooth and looks completely natural.
  • Stained Teeth Certain stains are immune to professional teeth whitening procedures and affect only a few teeth. Also, patients who are suffering from dental sensitivity do not make good candidates for a whitening treatment. This is where dental bonding can help brighten up the entire smile.
  • Crooked Teeth Dental bonding can fix slightly crooked teeth by reshaping them. After reshaping, the dentist applies composite resin to ensure that the crooked tooth perfectly aligns with the adjacent teeth to give you a perfectly aligned dental arch.  
  • Fractured Teeth Facial injury or bruxism can result in minor dental fractures and a cracked or chipped front tooth can dramatically affect your appearance and your dental health. Dental bonding can effectively conceal these dental flaws and improve the appearance of your smile.
  • Gapped Teeth Unsightly gaps between two adjacent teeth make the teeth look asymmetrical or misaligned but dental bonding can close the gaps all across your smile and enhance the appeal of your smile in a single visit.
  • Unshapely Teeth If your teeth are misshapen, dental bonding can easily add some extra length or width to your teeth to give it an even edge. The result is proportionate teeth and a beautiful smile that enhances your existing facial structure.
  • BracesPatients wearing braces can greatly enhance the results of their orthodontic treatment with dental bonding. Dental bonding conceals gaps and crowding that typically develop in patients who wear braces for a longer time. It can also mask the stains that are caused by prolonged use of braces.  

Other Considerations

Generally, the candidacy for dental bonding only requires good oral health so if you are suffering from gum disease or having dental cavities, these problems should be resolved prior to proceeding with the treatment. Smoking results in dental discoloration and teeth whitening treatment fails to remove the aggressive staining caused by smoking. This is why dentists recommend their patients to stop smoking before they can undergo a dental bonding treatment. However, if the patient continues to smoke following the treatment, the discoloration and staining will continue to increase with time and eventually they would need a retreatment to retain the esthetic integrity of their smiles.  

Dental Bonding Aftercare

Apart from having good oral health before the procedure, it is equally important to maintain oral health following the procedure.  To avoid staining and discoloration after your treatment, you need to limit your consumption of tea and coffee, richly colored sauces, and smoking. To enhance the longevity of the composite resin material, you need to steer clear of habits like biting your fingernails, chewing on hard, sugary foods and gnawing on objects like pens and pencils or opening packages using your teeth. Practicing good oral hygiene and keeping up with your dental visits following your treatment will ensure that your dental bonding remains in good condition for as long as a decade and your smile spectacular for years. Best option for minor cosmetic changes, dental bonding is a practical and affordable way to enhance your smile.

If you want the best outcome from your dental bonding treatment, it is important to choose a dentist who is experienced, has a high success ratio, and consistently delivers great results. Joshua Hong DDS is dedicated to providing patients with the highest quality of cosmetic dentistry services that deliver optimal results.  So if you want a smile that is both healthy and beautiful inside-out, schedule an appointment with the best dentist in Goodyear AZ at 623.925.8822.

Are any of these your most searched topics on internet?

• How to whiten teeth
• Home remedies for teeth whitening
• Do teeth whitening strips work
• Professional teeth whitening cost

If your answer is yes and you too like thousands of others are obsessed with having those perfect pearly whites, and are contemplating whether to choose Over-the-Counter (OTC) whitening products or seek the services of a professional, this article is exactly what you need to read today. Described below are both types of teeth whitening treatments to help you choose well.

OTC Options for Whitening

There are numerous OTC teeth whitening products available today. Let’s understand how they work –

• Toothpastes
  They are mostly helpful in removing only surface stains because of their mild abrasive components. However, whitening toothpastes which contain chemical polishing constituents have extra stain removal qualities, but are devoid of bleach. So they brighten up the teeth by only about a shade more.
• Chewing gum
  Sugar-free chewing gums are available for restoring the whiteness of teeth. Most of them are to be taken after meals and the whiteners in them coat the teeth surface to prevent staining.
• Rinses
  Mouth whitening rinses have an additional ingredient – hydrogen peroxide. Just like any other mouthwashes, these rinses are also to be swished around in the mouth for around 60 seconds. However, most dental professionals are of the opinion that these give negligible results as they come in contact of teeth for only few seconds.
• Pre-made whitening trays
  These trays are similar to mouth guards, and are filled with a gel-based whitening solution. It comprises peroxide bleaching agents. But, since the trays are not customized for any specific dental structure, the gel often comes in contact with gums and other soft tissues, and causes irritation. Besides, these pre-made trays usually have less gel content as compared to the personalized ones provided by a teeth whitening dentist.
• Gels and whitening strips
  Whitening gels and gel-based whitening strips; both contain peroxide for brightening teeth. The gel and the strips are to be used as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Both these products usually take around a few days to whiten teeth and the final results may last as long as around four months.

Professional whitening Treatments

• Dentists generally use whitening gels which give impressive and instant results, by disintegrating the bonds of stain molecules within only an hour or so. Often a high-intensity light is used to activate the gel and allow the oxygen to penetrate teeth more intensely for remarkable outcomes.
• As opposed to the OTC teeth whitening solutions or even dentist-prescribed at home products which contain only around 3% of hydrogen peroxide, the whitening agents used by professionals in dental clinics, have 15-43% of hydrogen peroxide.
• Additional precautions are taken by a dentist to safeguard your gum tissues and oral cavities from the effect of bleaching agents present in whitening solutions. These include usage of protective gel or rubber shield.
• Of course, the professional teeth whitening cost is much higher. But it’s a worthy investment which is absolutely safe and offers much better and instant results than any of the store-bought whitening kits or DIY natural ways to whiten teeth.
• No product or service ensures permanent white teeth. Hence, it is essential that you don’t miss out on your scheduled dental visits to maintain the effects of whitening treatments.

Joshua Hong DDS is known for its flawless record of creating picture-perfect bright smiles since years now. Call 623-925-8822 to make an appointment with our skilled Smile Team, and get that dazzling smile with pearly white teeth, which you have always desired!

o you wish that your smile could have been better? Don’t despair. Technology advancements have made certain parameters controllable for man; one of which is teeth straightening. Many people feel about a slight regret regarding their smiles. They avoid getting clicked, talk less and even drop plans of going out with friends frequently. They get conscious and this brings down their confidence and morale.

Conventional Methods = Uncomfortable Feelings

Some bad memories are probably associated with traditional methods of orthodontic treatments and teeth straightening in our mind. Remember how the food got stuck in the metallic braces (which were equally embarrassing to flash) or that inevitable lisp from wearing a retainer?

Fixed Braces

Braces are small metallic brackets that are put over the uneven teeth surface and bound with wire to hold them together. In spite of looking ugly and causing inconvenience while eating, talking and smiling, braces are still the most popular method used for crowded and crooked teeth.

Removable Braces

These dental braces come in plastic or bio-friendly acrylic and are used for teeth with less crowding. They have springs and wire clasps that are used to keep the braces attached to the teeth. These braces are used when the teeth problem is not so severe.

Headgear

These are complex devices, made up of thick metallic wires and run from outside the mouth onto the inside. In this method, teeth are supported by cups or straps that run under the chin or behind the neck. Headgears are usually worn for around 12 hours daily, for a few day or weeks, as the requirement of the treatment. In today’s time, these devices are hardly used due to advancement in orthodontal treatment.

Retainers

They are similar to removable braces and are widely used after treatment using fixed braces. They are worn for a few months and prevent teeth from moving back to the original abnormal position.

Medical science has progressed a lot. A few new and improved methods for orthodontic treatment have been introduced. Let us see some newer ways to straighten teeth.

Fixed Clear Braces

These braces are gaining popularity due to their transparency. They work similarly to metallic braces but are made from a strong ceramic material with high transparency. These braces tend to adopt the color of the teeth, concealing themselves. Due to these features, they do not ruin the facial features like the traditional metal braces and are widely preferred.

Invisalign

The best feature of these devices is that they are made of clear plastic material and are barely visible. Due to technological advancements, an option of custom-made aligners is available and preferred by many. These braces are meant to be worn from anywhere between 9 to 15 months and are designed to cause negligible irritation or disruption in your usual life.

Make no mistake that a great smile is a great confidence-builder. You feel good and perform well. People take notice of you, listen to you and appreciate the positivity in your overall attitude. Timely visit your dentist and, if required, go for one of the above-mentioned oral treatments. It will prove to be a very fruitful investment.

Tooth bleaching is a popular method for whitening discolored teeth, and it can be done at home or by a dentist. It’s quite common for teeth to appear unevenly colored after the procedure. However, you need to take some steps if there is an extensive difference in color, or your teeth become more heavily stained over time.

Here are a few of reasons for uneven tooth color, and what you can do to tackle the problem:

• Often, the edges of a tooth respond to bleaching quicker than internal areas, since the bleach penetrates the enamel faster. The center of a tooth has a thicker layer of enamel than the edges, so internal tooth bleaching can take longer to show results.
• Some teeth may appear whiter than the rest, since each tooth responds differently to bleaching. The structure and composition of teeth affects the outcome of tooth bleaching, for instance, teeth with less calcium will get bleached a lot more quickly.
• If you are prone to extreme sensitivity in your teeth, get them professionally bleached by a dentist. This is especially important for internal tooth bleaching, since you need to keep the bleaching solution against your teeth for longer.
• Ask your dentist about teeth whitening solutions if you have had any restorative dentistry. Dental veneers, fillings, crowns and caps will not respond to bleaching, so they can appear discolored against your natural teeth when you bleach them.
• In most cases, the color will become more even over time. This typically takes anywhere from 3-10 days. Once your teeth have reached the whiteness level you want, stop bleaching them for a few days.

Extra Precautions to Prevent Uneven Tooth Color

• After tooth bleaching, you may need to take some extra precautions to prevent them from getting stained. Bleaching makes the surface of your teeth more porous, so they can get discolored easily if you consume coffee, red wine, cigarettes, etc.
• If you do eat or drink anything that can stain your teeth, try to avoid letting it come into contact with the tooth surface as much as possible. For instance, you can use a straw to drink coffee, and swish clean water around your mouth right after.
• If you’re bleaching your teeth at home, ask your dentist for a custom-fitted tray that allows the solution to properly coat every tooth. Avoid whitening strips, since they cannot cover the whole tooth and will cause splotchy results.
• Visit a dentist and follow their instructions before, during and after tooth bleaching. Continue with the procedure if your teeth are unevenly colored, to allow less responsive teeth and internal areas to reach the same whiteness as the rest.
• Bleaching is not a permanent solution for whiter teeth, since diet and lifestyle factors can cause your teeth to become discolored after a while. Make sure to bleach your pearly whites twice a year to help them retain their whiteness for longer!

What is Tooth Bonding?

Let’s start by answering the main question, what is dental bonding? Tooth bonding, also known as dental bonding, is an oral procedure performed by a dentist to restore damaged teeth. Sometimes, tooth bonding is used to improve the appearance of teeth as well. If you ever look at dental bonding before and after pictures, you’ll understand why it’s popular!

As part of the procedure, tooth-colored resin will be applied on the damaged tooth. Then, dental light that reacts to this resin is directed at the resin, which then hardens and bonds to the tooth.

When To Get Tooth Bonding?

There are multiple scenarios where a tooth bonding procedure may be recommended by a dentist. Here are some of the more common ones:

• Repair of teeth that have decayed
• Repair of teeth that are either cracked or chipped
• Fixing teeth that have become discolored and hence look ugly
• Fixing a set of teeth that have developed wide gap between them
• Extending the length of teeth that are too short and cause trouble while chewing food
• Modifying the natural shape of teeth
• As an alternative to other dental solutions such as fillings
• As a way of protecting parts of the mouth that have exposed gums

Tooth Bonding Procedure

Tooth bonding is a fairly simple but occasionally lengthy procedure, so let’s take a look at the steps involved:

• Before the Procedure – Tooth bonding does not involve any surgical equipment. In simple words, the entire procedure could be pictured as a simple exercise that involves filling a hole in a tooth.

Further, the tooth bonding procedure is the same irrespective of the individual. The only time it becomes complicated is when a number of teeth are involved. Usually, the patient can just drop by, get the bonding done and walk out.

• Selecting Resin Color – The next step will be to pick the resin color. Different people have different colored teeth, and the dentist will select the color after some intensive matching, to ensure that your teeth look natural after the bonding procedure is complete.
• Bonding – Once the resin is chosen, the next step is the actual bonding activity. The tooth that is being subjected to the procedure will be roughened up. Then, a conditioning liquid will be applied on it. These two activities will ensure that the resin will stick to the teeth.

After that, the resin is applied, and it’s immediately shaped on the teeth to make it as natural looking as possible.

• Drying – The resin needs to be quickly dried up. To do this, the dentist will shine an ultraviolet light on the resin, which will harden pretty fast once exposed to the light. Even as the resin is hardening, the dentist will continue to work on it, adjusting the shape and fine tuning it for optimum results.
• Duration – The total duration of the procedure is typically about thirty minutes, but if the procedure is complicated or multiple teeth are involved, it might extend to 60 minutes or so. This applies to every tooth that needs bonding.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Some Of The Main Benefits Of Tooth Bonding Include:

• Easy and Cheap – Compared to almost any other dental procedure, this is the easiest and cheapest option.
• Single Visit – Most dental procedures usually take multiple visits, but not tooth bonding.
• Reduced Enamel Loss – Many dental procedures come very close to damaging the enamel covering on the tooth, but tooth bonding does not.
• No Anesthesia – Unless the tooth damage is severe, the procedure does not need the patient to go under anesthesia.

Like With Any Other Dental Procedures, There Are Few Disadvantages Too, like:

• Stains – Tooth bonding is not as stain-resistant as other dental procedures like crowns.
• Not Long Lasting – Resin tends to scrape away pretty fast, sometimes leading to repeated tooth bonding procedures

According to expert advice by a doctor (Joshua Hong DDS), dental bonding is a good option if the objective is to make minor cosmetic changes to the way your teeth look. The procedure is simple, costs less and has a lot of advantages. At the same time, it’s not a permanent solution for those who are looking for long-term answers to serious dental problems.