Veneers Or Bonding For Tooth Enamel Erosion?
Posted on: 26 April 2017
Did you know that tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body? That's good for your teeth's protection. However, enamel is not indestructible. If you've lost a significant amount of enamel, there are several possible solutions. Here is a comparison of two of them: bonding and veneers.
Be Kind to your Enamel
Enamel is the hard, outer covering of your teeth. It protects the living part of your tooth from trauma or damage caused by things such as sugars and acids. Over time, enamel can be discolored by coffee, teas, soft drinks, nicotine, and other substances, or cracked and chipped through rigorous brushing, trauma, and acidic foods. Other causes of tooth enamel staining or erosion include genetics, teeth grinding, acid reflux, G.I. tract problems, and certain acidic medicines such as aspirin or antihistamines.
Because enamel is a mineral, it won't regenerate. Some stains may be removed, if they're not too deep, but damage and loss is permanent. But here are two ways to help conceal the damage and create a more pleasing smile.
Tooth Bonding
Dental bonding is a procedure where your dentist will use a tooth-colored resin to correct or hide flaws in a person's teeth. It's an option for covering up stains and imperfections, filling in cavities, repairing chips and cracks, filling in gaps between teeth, and adding a layer of protection for eroded enamel.
A typical bonding procedure usually takes less than an hour, and it can usually be done without anesthesia. Your dentist will roughen the surface of the tooth and apply a coating that helps the resin adhere to the tooth surface. The dentist will apply and shape the resin, then use a special light to harden the bonding material.
Bonding is a relatively quick and easy way to correct small flaws in your teeth. However, the bonding material can become stained and is less durable than a porcelain veneer or crown.
Dental Veneers
A veneer is a thin porcelain shell that fits over the front of one or more of your teeth. It covers up stained enamel, conceals chips and cracks in your teeth, and hides gaps between your teeth. Applying veneers usually takes at least three office visits to complete. Your dentist will first grind off some of the tooth's enamel, take a mold of the tooth, and send it to a dental lab. When the veneers are finished, the dentist will attach them to the front surface of the tooth or teeth with a dental adhesive. Although veneers are more expensive than bonding, they are also more durable and long-lasting and therefore can be more cost-effective.
If your dental enamel is stained or chipped and cracked, there is a solution. Talk to your dentist to determine whether bonding or veneers is the better solution for your circumstances.
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