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Patient Education
& Dental FAQs
NEW - Educational Videos for Dental Procedures
General Information
Procedures
Dental Health Issues
Bonding
Bonding, also known as composite bonding, is a cosmetic
dentistry procedure that can be used to repair chipped, cracked, or discolored
teeth. Bonding can also be used to fill in gaps between teeth, protect
the root of a tooth, or as an alternative to silver amalgam fillings.
Bonding takes approximately 30 minutes to one hour in a single visit
to the cosmetic dentist.
The Bonding Procedure - The cosmetic dentist begins by selecting
a shade of composite resin (bonding material) that is closest to the
shade of your teeth. Then, the dentist abrades the teeth and applies
a liquid that helps the bonding material adhere to the teeth. The composite
resin is applied to the teeth, smoothed into the desired shape, and hardened
with a high intensity light. After the resin has hardened, the cosmetic
dentist will make the final touches and polish the tooth until it resembles
the other teeth. If more than one tooth is being repaired it may take
several visits to the cosmetic dentist in order to achieve the desired
results.
What is bruxism?
Bruxism may result from a bad fit between the upper and
lower teeth when you close your mouth. More often, however, it's associated
with tension or suppressed anger. Symptoms include tooth grinding during
sleep, jaw clenching, jaw pain or earache, jaw muscle contractions,
abnormal alignment of teeth and worn or abraded tooth enamel. It sounds
like you may have worn your enamel down far enough to expose the sensitive
second layer of tooth material, the dentin.
If your dentist rules out physical causes of bruxism, you may just need
to learn how to rest your tongue, teeth and lips properly. Or you
may need to address the stresses that cause you to grind your teeth. Stress
management, biofeedback, self - hypnosis and even acupuncture have
been successfully used to treat anxiety - related bruxism.
Your dentist may construct a plastic mouth guard for you to wear during
the night to protect your teeth from further damage.
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