Your smile is the first thing people notice about you. Discolored, cracked, or chipped teeth can make you self-conscious about flashing a grin. If you feel your smile is less-than-perfect, you have many different options to brighten up those pearly whites. While many people can simply go for a professional teeth whitening treatment, sometimes your teeth need more than just whitening. You may choose to look at dental bonding vs. veneers to restore your beautiful smile.

What is dental bonding?

Dental bonding is a cosmetic treatment that is one step up from an in-office whitening treatment. You might be familiar with composite resin as a tooth filing material for cavity, but dentists can also use composite resin as a cosmetic treatment.

Why should you choose dental bonding? If you have caps or crowns on your teeth, in-office whitening treatments will only whiten the natural teeth next to them. This can make a blemished tooth stand out even more.

With dental bonding, your dentist applies a composite resin that is matched to your natural tooth’s color (and the teeth next to the tooth being fixed) to hide flaws or blemishes on your teeth.

What are the major differences between dental bonding vs. veneers?

Dental bonding is just one fix for your smile. Veneers, a thin porcelain shell placed over the front of the tooth, is another.

There are a few major differences when you look at dental bonding vs. veneers, including:

  • Who is a candidate for dental bonding vs. veneers?
  • Appearance
  • Durability
  • Procedure
  • Aftercare
  • Price

Let’s look at each of these in more detail.

Who is a candidate for dental bonding vs. veneers?

Cosmetic dental bonding is a great solution for minor imperfections in teeth. These imperfections include:

  • Superficial stains
  • Chips
  • Small gaps
  • Cracks
  • Misshapen teeth

Think of this option for teeth that just need a little touch-up in appearance to match their neighbors.

For deeper stains, larger cracks, and overlapping teeth, veneers maybe the best choice. Because these fit over teeth, they can be used to cover more substantial imperfections in your smile.

Appearance

A substantial difference between veneers and bonding is in the final appearance.

Composite resin is a solid substance that does not reflect light. This means that even if the color matching is perfect and the shaping is expert, they may be noticeable under close inspection. Composite resin is also porous and susceptible from staining due to coffee, tea, wine, and smoking, especially in the days after they are applied.

On the other hand, veneers are made of a translucent material that reflects light. This means that they will more closely resemble a natural tooth. Additionally, the tough porcelain material of a veneer makes them highly resistant to staining long-term.

Durability

Dental bonding is a great choice for fixing minor chips, cracks and gaps, but it will not last forever. The material sits on top of the tooth and will degrade over time. Most composite resins last between two and five years before needing to be reapplied.

Porcelain veneers are considered a semi-permanent fix for more serious cosmetic flaws. They are designed and applied to last at least a decade (and often longer with proper care).

Procedure

The procedure for dental bonding vs. veneers is quite different.

For cosmetic dental bonding, your dentist will rough up your tooth’s surface slightly to create a better bond with the composite resin. They will then take color-matched composite resin and shape it freehand to the tooth that is being corrected.

After shaping, your dentist will apply a high-intensity light to harden and set the resin before shaping and polishing the tooth once again. This procedure requires very little removal of the natural tooth and can be completed in one visit.

Veneers are more complicated.

Your dentist will remove a substantial amount of enamel to reshape the tooth and allow space for the extra veneer material. They will then take an impression and send it to the lab where a porcelain veneer is made to match your teeth’s shape and color.

Using dental adhesive, your dentist will then apply the veneer to the prepared tooth. This whole process can take up to three visits. Because enamel is removed, this is considered a more permanent procedure. You will not be able to leave the prepared tooth uncovered.

Aftercare and maintenance

Both dental bonding and veneers are remarkably similar when it comes to aftercare and maintenance.

Each procedure is generally pain-free. Proper brushing and flossing is all that you need to do to keep your cosmetic dental bonding or veneers bright.

You can increase the life and preserve the appearance of both veneers and dental bonding by:

  • Avoiding hard foods
  • Limiting intake of coffee, tea, wine, and soda
  • Quitting smoking
  • Not biting nails
  • Not chewing gum

Price

Here’s where the rubber meets the road (or the teeth meet the gums). When considering dental bonding vs. veneers, price is a major differentiator.

While price can vary depending on things like geography, the experience of the dentist, the dental issues to be fixed, and the amenities the dentist offers, dental bonding is a much more affordable option in the short-term.

The average cost of dental bonding is between $200 and $700 per tooth. Considering veneers? Plan to spend four times as much. Prices for veneers average $800 to $2,000 per tooth.

While this price difference is considerable, it is important to look at a few factors. Dental bonding is not meant to completely overhaul your entire smile. Their best application is to cover minor imperfections. They’re a great option for that. However, dental bonding is also a temporary fix and does not last as long.

Veneers offer a complete overhaul of your smile, covering major, very noticeable imperfections. They are meant to last a long time (over five times as long). While the upfront cost of veneers is substantial, their longevity may make the price similar over time.

Considering shining up your beautiful smile? AZ Dentist is your Phoenix area cosmetic dentist. We offer a wide range of cosmetic dental procedures and would love to talk to you about all of your options. Get in touch today!

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