If you’ve ever chipped a tooth, you know how uncomfortable and confidence-shattering it can be. Losing a part of your smile can affect you more than you think in your daily life.
It can become uncomfortable to brush your teeth, drink your hot coffee and smiling at your neighbours is no longer worry-free.
It really shatters our confidence to lose our smile, but Mola Dental have a quick fix that can get you grinning in no time.
You no longer need a crown or veneer to fix a chipped tooth anymore. Composite bonding offers a quick, affordable way to seamlessly repair chips and get your smile back.
Let’s get into composite bonding in a little more detail…
What is a Chipped Tooth?
It may seem like a bit of a silly question, but what actually classes as a chipped tooth?
A chipped tooth occurs when a small fragment of enamel breaks off from the surface of your tooth, leaving a jagged edge or hole. Chips can happen anywhere on the tooth and may expose some of the softer, sensitive dentin underneath the hard enamel outer layer. This leads to pain when eating or drinking hot or cold foods.
There are several common causes of chipped teeth. You may chip a tooth from biting down too hard on something crunchy like ice or sweets. Trauma from sports injuries or accidents can also crack the enamel. Habitual teeth grinding (bruxism) wears down the enamel over time, leaving teeth prone to fractures.
Sometimes, underlying tooth decay or large fillings weaken the structure of the tooth, causing painful cracks and chips in the enamel. Genetics can also play a role, as some people naturally have thinner or weaker enamel.
Minor chips near the biting edges of your teeth may not require immediate treatment by your dentist. However, larger cracks and fractures should be professionally repaired to prevent further damage. That’s where composite bonding comes in:
Benefits of Composite Bonding:
Composite bonding is tailor-made to restore a chipped tooth.
The benefits of this procedure include the following:
- Matches perfectly – Composite bonds directly to the natural tooth for a seamless, imperceptible repair. No one will know you ever had a chip!
- Quick fix – Composite bonding takes one short, painless visit. You can walk out with a repaired tooth in less than an hour.
- Preserves the tooth – The treatment only replaces the missing chip, leaving a healthy tooth structure intact.
- Natural results – Advanced composites replicate the shade, translucency, and texture of natural teeth. Properly done repairs are indistinguishable.
- Affordable – Since no lab work is required, this procedure costs significantly less than a crown or veneer.
Now you know the benefits, let’s talk about how we would complete the treatment…
The Composite Repair Process:
Fixing a chipped tooth is a quick and easy process these days, thanks to composite bonding. Here are the steps your dentist (us!) will take to repair your chip with a natural-looking composite resin:
1. Colour Matching
First, we will closely match the shade of the composite resin to your surrounding tooth structure. A range of composite colours are available to mimic variations in the hue and opacity of natural enamel. We will make sure to take time to select just the right tone and shade for a seamless, undetectable repair.
2. Prepping the Tooth
The chipped area of your tooth will be lightly roughened using a dental drill or etching acid. This creates microscopic grooves for the composite resin to adhere to. Your tooth will be thoroughly cleaned, and an adhesive bonding agent will be applied to the roughened enamel.
3. Applying the Composite
The tooth-coloured composite resin is carefully sculpted over the prepared chip in thin layers. We shape and contour the material until it blends seamlessly into the existing anatomy of your tooth.
4. Curing the Composite
A bright curing light is used to rapidly harden each layer of the composite resin as it is applied. Advanced LED lights fully cure the material in just seconds.
5. Finishing Touches
Once fully hardened, the composite repair is trimmed and finely polished. We ensure contacts with adjacent teeth are ideal, and there are no rough edges. The smooth finish mimics natural enamel for a beautifully restored, chip-free smile.
With proper care, composite bonding can last five years or longer before needing replacement. It’s an ideal choice for restoring chips quickly, affordably, and attractively.
Don’t let a chipped tooth ruin your confidence or lead to more extensive damage.
See your dentist about composite bonding, the modern solution for chipped tooth repairs. This conservative treatment can beautifully restore just the damaged portion and get you smiling again.