How Long Does Composite Bonding Last?

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and found your smile lacking in shine, perhaps as a result of gaps between your front teeth or small chips separating your top from your bottom teeth, then composite bonding might be the ideal solution for you.

As one of the most popular treatments available here at Bluebell Dentistry Aesthetics, our Composite Bonding Essex based service combines our passion for aesthetics with our skilled dental consultants – using a white filling material to fill in the gaps or construct an extra section to an individual tooth to conceal a chip or crack.

To help you decide if this is the right treatment for you, we’ve compiled this blog to answer some of the most common questions about composite bonding – from how long it lasts to the kind of results you can expect and the length of the procedure itself.

Composite bonding uses a special resin which is selected by your dental consultant to match the colouring of your natural teeth, ensuring that it blends into your existing smile rather than highlighting the treatment.

The treatment starts with a conditioning substance being layered over the tooth before the resin is set in place and allowed to harden onto the tooth. The process takes around 30 minutes to an hour per tooth, though it is worth noting that the treatment time and complexity varies depending on the issue that is being handled – for example, whether the tooth is decaying, or the gap or chip is located close to a nerve.

Typically, a composite bond will last for up to ten years, with regular check-ups advised – during which your dentist or dental consultant will assess the stability of any composite bonds and advise as to when you might need them to be replaced.

For those who want their composite bonds to last as long as possible, there are things you can do to protect the surface of the tooth and the layering of composite resin. These include avoiding opening cans and other items with your teeth, ceasing from biting your nails, and avoiding crunching on ice.

But it’s not just the structural integrity of the bonding that you need to protect – you also need to remember that for your teeth to present a natural and clean finish, you need to do what you can to avoid staining your teeth’s natural surface. As the resin will remain unaffected, any staining to the teeth’s natural surface will cause the composite bonding to show up – therefore, it’s advised that you avoid drinking too much coffee, tea, and red wine in particular.

Composite bonding is a long term solution to chipped and cracked teeth which, if cared for effectively, will last for up to ten years before the bonds need to be replaced. To find out more about composite bonding in Essex and to see if you could be a good fit for the treatment, get in touch with Bluebell Dentistry & Aesthetics today.