Dental bonding

Dental bonding is a procedure, available at our Agenskalna Dental clinic, to repair or improve the appearance of a tooth, which may have decayed, chipped, broken or discoloured. It’s ideal for masking imperfections and is among the simplest and least expensive cosmetic dentistry procedures. It can be used to:

  • Repair decayed teeth
  • Repair chipped or cracked teeth
  • Change the shape of teeth
  • Make teeth look longer
  • Close gaps between teeth
  • Recolour stained teeth
For this procedure, a special tooth coloured composite material is applied to the tooth, sculpted into shape, then hardened using a laser, which permanently bonds the material to the tooth. The composite material used in the bonding process is coloured, shaped and polished to match the surrounding teeth, which means the bonded tooth will look completely natural.

The advantage of opting for bonding over a veneer or a crown is that less tooth enamel needs to be removed and anesthesia is generally not required. The disadvantage is that bonding materials are not as strong and don’t last as long as those used for a veneer or crown. After inspecting the problematic tooth, we will advise you on whether bonding, a veneer or a crown is the most appropriate treatment for you.

The first stage in the dental bonding procedure is to select a shade of composite material that best matches the colour of the tooth to be bonded and those either side of it. Having chosen the colour and prepared the tooth, we will apply the putty-like material and mould and smooth it into shape. Next, the soft bonding material is hardened using a painless laser.

Having hardened the material, we will then make final cosmetic adjustments to it and polish it so that it neatly matches the look and texture of your teeth. A tooth can normally be bonded in a single 30-60 minute visit to our dental clinic. The bonding of multiple teeth will take longer and may be best spread over multiple visits. The lifespan of dental bonding is typically 5-10 years, after which touch ups or a replacement may be needed.