If enhancing your smile is at the top of your Christmas wish list, or perhaps one of your new years’ resolutions, this is the ideal article for you. Today, we’re comparing two of our most highly requested cosmetic treatments: Composite Bonding vs Veneers.
Many of our patients pursue Cosmetic Dentistry for various reasons. For example, to repair chips, fill gaps, brighten discoloured teeth, look more professional or feel confident to smile in photos for a special upcoming event. In these cases, we advise two cosmetic procedures that our dentists can apply to an individual tooth or the entire mouth—Composite Bonding and Porcelain Veneers.
Composite bonding and porcelain veneers are effective treatments that can repair and improve a lack-lustred smile. In terms of price point, porcelain veneers are the most expensive option because they are made from porcelain and are, therefore, more durable. However, that doesn’t mean you should completely rule out composite bonding. Both treatments have pros and cons, which we will examine in this article.
What Is Composite Bonding?
Composite bonding, also known as tooth or dental bonding, is a cosmetic procedure where we apply thin layers of tooth-coloured resin to the tooth’s surface. Once layered, we set the resin under a special UV light. It is then polished and shaped to build your desired smile.
Bonding is a minimally-invasive treatment that requires no drilling or shaving. We can also complete the treatment in just one visit to the dentist, so you don’t have to keep coming back and forth.
The tooth-coloured resin, called composite, is the same material used for white fillings. However, researchers have developed this resin to make it far more aesthetic for the front of your teeth. We can also polish it to give it a nice shine, just like your natural teeth.
Composite bonding is an excellent treatment for masking over any cracks, chips or discolouration. Our dentists can apply the composite just to the edges of the teeth to fill in wide gaps between them or treat worn-down teeth. We can also apply it over the entire tooth surface, called a composite veneer.
We advise composite bonding for patients looking to treat minor imperfections in teeth with minimal biting force, such as your front teeth. However, it’s not made to last forever, so you must take good care of the composite and avoid chipping or trauma.
Click here to learn more about composite bonding.
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Veneers are wafer-thin shells made of porcelain which we place over your teeth. Each shell is custom-made in a laboratory to fit your tooth, so it blends seamlessly into the rest of your smile.
We advise porcelain veneers for patients looking to cover a heavily discoloured or fractured tooth. The porcelain delivers highly-aesthetic, strong and durable results. They should last a good 10 to 25 years before needing any repair.
Our porcelain veneers are handmade in a laboratory and moulded from the impressions we make of your teeth. We can also match the colour of the porcelain to the rest of your smile. Sometimes we’ll need to apply temporary veneers while you wait for your permanent ones to come back from the lab.
Once the veneers are ready, we will bond and cure them to your teeth under a special UV light. But, before this can happen, our dentists will ‘prep’ your teeth by etching across the surfaces so that the veneer can adhere more firmly. For this reason, porcelain veneers are a permanent restoration that is more invasive than composite bonding.
Porcelain veneers take approximately three weeks to complete and require three separate dentist visits. Therefore, veneers take longer than composite bonding. Nonetheless, they’re definitely worth the wait.
Click here to learn more about porcelain veneers.
Composite Bonding vs Veneers:
As we’ve already mentioned, each treatment has its pros and cons. With the help of one of our dentists, it’s your choice to select the treatment you feel most comfortable with, as both can effectively fix numerous tooth imperfections.
If you’re looking for a cost-friendly and minimally-invasive treatment to fix minor imperfections, composite bonding is undoubtedly the best choice. However, as the resin is less durable than porcelain (lasts between 3 to 10 years) and is more partial to chipping, it can cost you more in future maintenance.
One of the key benefits of composite bonding is that it is reversible. As such, if you’re unhappy with how the composite looks or has aged, we can easily polish it off and reapply it to suit your preferences. It’s also a far less invasive treatment, with no recovery time needed.
Many dentists like to consider composite bonding as a blueprint for future veneers. However, at this moment, the same durability isn’t there. Composite bonding is also not as resistant to stains as porcelain veneers. As a result, you should avoid food and drinks that can cause staining and smoking.
Another thing to note is that porcelain veneers are often said to be more aesthetically pleasing than resin. Composite resin also cannot be whitened, so before having treatment, you need to ensure you’re happy with the shade of your natural teeth. If this isn’t the case, we can always apply a whitening treatment before bonding. Alternatively, porcelain veneers may be the more realistic option if you want a bold, bright smile.
Searching for Cosmetic Dentistry Near You? Visit Us at Corner House Dental Practice, Norwich.
If you’d like to welcome the new year with a fresh smile, visit us at Corner House Dental Practice, to learn more about our cosmetic dentistry Norwich.
Our Principal dentist, Dr Andre Potgieter, is a member of the British Dental Association and holds a certificate in Advanced Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry. Likewise, Dr Francois Smit is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Both dentists are passionate about restoring smiles and strive for the most natural-looking results.
We provide friendly and high-quality dental services five days a week, from Monday-Friday. If you cannot make it to us during the week, we are also open on Saturday by appointment only.
If you want to get in touch with our helpful reception team, call us on 01603 621613. Alternatively, you can click here to contact us online.