If you’re not totally happy with the appearance of your smile, you might be thinking that you’ll just have to live with it. Fortunately, modern dental technology can provide the solution! In fact, you’ll be happy to know that there are two dental procedures that can repair minor dental issues and leave you with an absolutely gorgeous smile: dental bonding and porcelain veneers. Both of these cosmetic dentistry services can be done in a very short period of time, right in the dentist’s office. And both produce absolutely stunning results, often leaving patients with the kind of beautiful smiles that many never dreamed they could have! There are some important differences between the two procedures, which is why we’ve compiled the information in this article. What follows is everything you should know about dental bonding vs. veneers.

Are You a Good Candidate for Bonding or Veneers?

Both dental bonding and porcelain veneers are designed to correct relatively minor dental issues. Before your dentist considers you for either procedure, you’ll need to be in good oral health. That means that problems like tooth decay or gum disease (for example) will need to be resolved before your dentist will perform any kind of cosmetic dental service.

Assuming that you are in good oral health, both bonding and veneers can resolve the following minor dental problems:

Both bonding and veneers can also serve to protect your teeth from further damage. In fact, dental bonding is sometimes recommended for patients who are cavity prone since the resin creates a smooth surface on the tooth, making it more difficult for bacteria to collect on the surface and reducing the chances for cavities to form.

An Introduction to Dental Bonding

Bonding involves your dentist applying a dental resin material directly to the surface of your existing teeth, waiting for the bonding material to harden, then shaping and polishing the material to form a perfect-looking tooth. Bonding requires very little preparation of the existing tooth prior to application of the resin. The bonding material is made to exactly match the color of your existing teeth, so no one will ever be able to tell that one or more of your teeth are bonded. The resin material not only resolves minor dental issues; it also provides a protective coating for the tooth, helping to protect it from further damage in the future.

An Introduction to Porcelain Veneers

A dental veneer consists of an extremely thin layer of porcelain that is custom made for each patient and applied directly over the surface of an existing tooth. This requires the dentist to remove a small amount of enamel from the tooth prior to applying the veneer, after which the porcelain is applied and bonded to the tooth using an adhesive. Similar to dental bonding, the porcelain material used in veneers is made to precisely match the color of your existing teeth. So you can have many teeth covered by veneers or just a single tooth. The end result is a repaired tooth that blends in perfectly with your other natural teeth.

Dental Bonding vs. Veneers in Austin, TX

If you’re not totally happy with the appearance of your smile, you might be thinking that you’ll just have to live with it. Fortunately, modern dental technology can provide the solution! In fact, you’ll be happy to know that there are two dental procedures that can repair minor dental issues and leave you with an absolutely gorgeous smile: dental bonding and porcelain veneers. Both of these cosmetic dentistry services can be done in a very short period of time, right in the dentist’s office. And both produce absolutely stunning results, often leaving patients with the kind of beautiful smiles that many never dreamed they could have! There are some important differences between the two procedures, which is why we’ve compiled the information in this article. What follows is everything you should know about dental bonding vs. veneers.

Are You a Good Candidate for Bonding or Veneers?

Both dental bonding and porcelain veneers are designed to correct relatively minor dental issues. Before your dentist considers you for either procedure, you’ll need to be in good oral health. That means that problems like tooth decay or gum disease (for example) will need to be resolved before your dentist will perform any kind of cosmetic dental service.

Assuming that you are in good oral health, both bonding and veneers can resolve the following minor dental problems:

Both bonding and veneers can also serve to protect your teeth from further damage. In fact, dental bonding is sometimes recommended for patients who are cavity prone since the resin creates a smooth surface on the tooth, making it more difficult for bacteria to collect on the surface and reducing the chances for cavities to form.

An Introduction to Dental Bonding

Bonding involves your dentist applying a dental resin material directly to the surface of your existing teeth, waiting for the bonding material to harden, then shaping and polishing the material to form a perfect-looking tooth. Bonding requires very little preparation of the existing tooth prior to application of the resin. The bonding material is made to exactly match the color of your existing teeth, so no one will ever be able to tell that one or more of your teeth are bonded. The resin material not only resolves minor dental issues; it also provides a protective coating for the tooth, helping to protect it from further damage in the future.

An Introduction to Porcelain Veneers

A dental veneer consists of an extremely thin layer of porcelain that is custom made for each patient and applied directly over the surface of an existing tooth. This requires the dentist to remove a small amount of enamel from the tooth prior to applying the veneer, after which the porcelain is applied and bonded to the tooth using an adhesive. Similar to dental bonding, the porcelain material used in veneers is made to precisely match the color of your existing teeth. So you can have many teeth covered by veneers or just a single tooth. The end result is a repaired tooth that blends in perfectly with your other natural teeth.

Dental Bonding vs. Veneers: How They Differ

While it’s true that both bonding and veneers are designed to protect the patient’s existing teeth and correct minor dental issues, there are some important differences that you should be aware of.

Both bonding and veneers can produce dramatic results in most patients. In fact, if you’ve envied celebrities with picture-perfect smiles, chances are that they achieved those smiles with one of these cosmetic procedures. Your dentist can help you decide which would be best for you and provide additional information regarding dental bonding vs. veneers.