If you’re looking to improve the appearance of your teeth, you’ve probably heard of veneers. They’re thin pieces of porcelain that cover the front surface of your teeth as a cosmetic dentistry treatment. Many patients choose veneers as an effective solution to enhance their smiles.
While veneers are an excellent way to fix cosmetic dental issues, other options are available that might be better suited to your needs or budget. One of these options is diastema bonding.
Diastema bonding is a procedure that involves adhering composite resin to the teeth to repair a gap in the upper, front teeth. Dentists use bonding to correct many issues, like unevenly spaced, misaligned, cracked, or chipped teeth.
What Is Diastema Bonding?
First, a diastema is a term used to describe a gap between the upper, front teeth. Therefore, diastema bonding is a process where a dentist uses a bonding treatment to repair a diastema.
The procedure typically corrects gaps between teeth or fills spaces left by missing teeth. Dentists usually only recommend diastema bonding if the gap is less than 2 mm wide.
How Does Diastema Bonding Work?
Like other tooth bonding procedures, diastema bonding works by placing a small amount of tooth-colored composite resin between the teeth, which hardens into a strong bond. The process only requires one visit and gives patients a quick and affordable cosmetic solution.
Step 1 – Apply a gentle phosphoric acid solution to the tooth that creates tiny channels for the bonding material to adhere.
Step 2 – Apply and mold the composite resin material onto the tooth.
Step 3 – Use a laser light to harden and bond the composite material quickly
Step 4 – Make adjustments to meet the aesthetic goals of the patient
The entire process only takes around one hour. Most patients experience positive results with diastema bonding.
How Does Diastema Bonding Compare to Porcelain Veneers?
While bonding and veneers both offer an effective alternative to metal braces to correct gaps in the teeth, the two procedures differ.
Porcelain veneers are typically superior to bonding because they are more robust and don’t stain or change color over time. The veneers are developed in a lab by a ceramist to match the specifications of the patient’s teeth. The procedure requires a minimal reduction of the patient’s teeth to fit the veneers. Treatment with porcelain veneers does cost more than bonding, but veneers last longer.
Diastema bonding is less invasive than applying porcelain veneers and doesn’t require a reduction of the existing tooth. Also, the procedure requires no anesthesia. However, the composite material may stain or change color over time. Composite bonds cost less and typically last a shorter time than veneers.
When deciding between the two procedures, it’s best to weigh your goals and priorities. For patients with a smaller budget, composite bonds offer an aesthetically appealing alternative. The Atlanta Smiles dental team is happy to discuss the pros and cons of each treatment with patients.
What’s the Right Choice for You?
Atlanta Smiles offers both bonding and veneers to repair minor cosmetic problems like gaps between teeth. We’ll provide the different advantages and disadvantages for each treatment to help you make an informed decision and achieve your aesthetic goals. If you want to learn more about how each option works, talk to our Atlanta Smiles dental team.