If you have a tooth that isn’t quite decayed yet, but looks like it may start, if it is not damaged enough to really warrant a filling, but is already cracked or otherwise damaged, then you should really consider tooth bonding. It is a cosmetic dental procedure with medical benefits and is just right for many small problems that patients tend to overlook until they become more serious. This is a bad course of action, as the damage done is frequently irreversible, and may cause pain that you never need to feel if you take the time to go and get some dental bonding to repair your teeth.
In most cases, tooth bonding does not hurt, because usually, everything happens on the surface of the tooth. Even better news: no anaesthesia is needed for the process!
The process of getting dental bonding is very similar to that of getting fillings, except less material is used. The same composite resin is applied to the cracked or chipped area. They can even put extra in to make the tooth appear longer, wider, or in other ways more attractive. The composite resin is also shaded to look like the colour of your teeth. After solidifying it with a special blue light, you should be ready with your new tooth and on your way. The entire procedure lasts between 15 and 30 minutes and is completely painless if the tooth is not sensitive yet. Local anaesthetic can be used, but that is usually a sign of a deeper problem.
Teeth that are chipped and cracked are much more at risk for infection and for tooth decay than teeth that are completely sealed by tooth enamel. This is why it is so important to get minor chips and cracks taken care of, as otherwise, you run the risk of it turning into tooth decay, and then you will have to get a filling, or a root canal treatment, or possibly even an extraction if you wait too long and the tooth becomes infected. The other benefit is that a cracked tooth sticks out from a row of teeth, and getting the tooth fixed will beautify the smile.
