Hey! I'm Frankie, and welcome to my dental advice blog. I'm a foodie and I love sweet treats, but I also love my teeth! It can be hard to keep your dental health in top condition when you've got a sweet tooth, but it's not impossible. Over the years, I've learned tons of great advice from friends, family members and dentists, and I'd love to share it with you. My blog is here to give you all the tips and tricks you need to stay free of decay and other tooth problems without giving up all your favourite foods and snacks.
If one of your teeth is cracked or chipped, it's important to repair the damage as soon as possible. For most people, this will mean either bonding or a crown.
There are strong arguments on both sides, but here are just three signs you'll want to opt for bonding over a crown.
1. You Want Fast Results
From a patient's perspective, one of the most tempting reasons to opt for bonding is the minimal preparation required. In fact, dental bonding can be carried out during a single trip to your dentist. The bonding material will be mixed, expertly shaped on your tooth, sprayed with a gentle phosphoric acid solution to strengthen the bond, and then sealed using a high-intensity curing light. In most cases, anaesthesia will not be required.
Things are different when you choose to have a crown fitted. Firstly, tooth impressions will have to be made during an initial consultation. Those impressions will be sent to a dental lab to ensure your crown fits properly. Before the final crown is fitted, your dentist will need to apply local anaesthetic and remove some of the tooth structure to accommodate it. As such, you'll require several trips to the dentist, usually over a couple of weeks.
2. You Want to Keep Costs Low
It's impossible to provide an exact estimate of how much your cosmetic procedure will cost, regardless of whether you choose bonding or a crown. That said, composite bonding will almost always be cheaper; impressions don't need to be made, anaesthesia doesn't need to be applied, nothing needs to get sent to a lab, and fewer appointments are required. As such, you'll generally end up paying significantly less for bonding than you would for a crown.
3. You're Fixing Minor Damage
If a large portion of a tooth has been lost, a crown might be your best choice. However, don't assume you need a crown if only a small chip or crack needs to be repaired. Composite bonding is strong enough to deal with such issues, and it requires very little existing tooth structure to be removed. For a crown, 360-degree preparation is required – that means the full circumference of the tooth needs to be trimmed away. Such preparation is necessary in serious cases, but removing existing tooth structure should be avoided when possible.
For more information, contact a cosmetic dentist.
Share19 December 2017
