St. Cloud Bonding, Veneers, & Fillings

Bonding

Dental bonding is a common choice for smile enhancement. Bonding utilizes a tooth-colored composite resin that is color matched to your existing teeth in order to blend in. Often, it is used to repair chips in the teeth, close gaps, or to change the shape and color of existing teeth.

First, your dentist will utilize a swatch chart to match the resin to your surrounding teeth. Then, the teeth will be gently sanded to rough up before a conditioning liquid is applied to the teeth. Finally, the resin will be applied, it will be cured by a light, and it will be smoothed and sanded if needed. This process is less expensive and comes with less prep, but bonding is often not as strong as a veneer.

Veneers

Veneers are a very thin, wafer-like cover that is placed over existing teeth to create a sparkling and uniform smile. Most people select veneers if they have deep staining, chipped teeth, or an uneven and gappy smile.

Veneers are made of a strong porcelain that provides exceptional durability past composite bonding or fillings. However, due to their durability and exceptional looks, veneers can cost more and take more prep time than other options.

Fillings

Fillings are a commonly selected treatment option for cavities and small areas of tooth decay, both for their effectiveness at creating a barrier against against bacteria and preventing further decay, and preserving tooth structure when replacing a damaged portion of the tooth from decay. These fillings come in two different options: composite tooth-colored or amalgam.

Composite fillings are created to match the color of your teeth, blending seamlessly so that you’ll never know they are there. Amalgam fillings, sometimes referred to as silver fillings, are made from a combination of mouth-safe metals, giving them a silver color.