Bonding Teeth Pros and Cons
Bonding teeth is a procedure that has become a mainstay of cosmetic dentistry. Although bonding teeth ideally refers to the application and use of veneers on teeth, it is also commonly used to connote the placement of resin tooth colored filling materials. Thus, one can say that bonding teeth is a procedure done as a part of aesthetic dentistry to repair or fix broken teeth with tooth colored restoration materials or veneers. However, although this is a much favored option for dentists and patients alike, worldwide, there are certain bonding teeth pros and cons that need to be taken into consideration before going in for this procedure. Thus, given below are the various pros and cons of tooth bonding that one needs to be aware of before going in for this cosmetic dental bonding procedure.
Bonding Teeth Pros
Aesthetics: One of the most important advantages of bonding teeth is aesthetics. Most people tend to get very conscious of their smile if it isn't perfect. People who have suffered from an accident due to which they have frontal teeth which are chipped or discolored in particular tend to get very conscious about their smile. Hence, for such people, bonding teeth is a very good option. Furthermore, for people who have slight caries on the facial surface of front teeth will also need an aesthetic tooth colored restoration. In such cases, resin fillings are an ideal option.
Quick Treatment Option: Normally, when it comes to bonding teeth, especially during placement of resin fillings, there is hardly any time required for the procedure and it doesn't take more than one sitting. Thus, for people who want instant results or have an embarrassing chipped front tooth for which they need a quick-fix yet permanent treatment, bonding teeth is the ideal option.
Cost-Effective: Bonding teeth is a reasonably affordable treatment option when compared to crowns, bridges and implants.
Bonding Teeth Cons
High Chances of Staining: One of the most important disadvantages of bonding teeth is the high chance of staining of resin restorations, especially when placed on the facial surface of front teeth. People who regularly drink coffee, tea, carbonated drinks have high chances of staining the restoration, due to which it will require replacement on a regular basis which will only end up increasing the cost of the treatment. Furthermore, there might also be development of stains on teeth in people who use mouth rinses frequently. Due to the fact that resin structure is not as compact as silver amalgam, there are also high chances of recurrent caries, which may eventually lead to further tooth decay. It should also be noted here that after bonding teeth, one cannot go in for teeth whitening methods like teeth beaching as it may cause a change in the color of the other teeth without any change in the veneer or resin filling, which will lead to a very visibly mismatched appearance of teeth.
Fragility: It is a proven fact that silver amalgam fillings are the best when it comes to their ability to withstand forces. They can thus take far more stress than a tooth colored filling. This is often the reason when tooth colored fillings are done on the incisal edges of teeth, they require regular touch ups and sometimes replacements because they either get worn out or chipped. This is the reason that when a person gets fillings done on incisal edges he is asked to practice extra caution, like not bite into apples or hard substances etc. Even veneers can only manage a certain amount of the stress and strain that they are subjected to. Thus, the option of bonding teeth is not a very good idea for people who are careless or who do not have very good dental health.
Loss of Tooth Structure: Before placement of the bonding material, the dentist needs to isolate the tooth and then acid etch it, only after which is the bonding material placed in or on the tooth. This process of acid etching leads to slight loss of tooth structure which may cause other problems like increased susceptibility to fracture of restoration, hypersensitivity of teeth etc.
Although this is an ideal option for a lot of people with visible tooth discolorations on the front teeth, one should get their cause of discoloration or loss of tooth structure properly diagnosed before going in for one of the best options in dentistry - bonding teeth.
