If you’re not a good candidate for deep bleaching, and you don’t want to get porcelain veneers across all of your teeth, teeth bonding might make a great alternative for you. Teeth bonding is a process by which your dentist sculpts composite resin onto your cracked or chipped natural tooth. To find out whether this option suits you, you should know more about the alternatives and the process of teeth bonding.

Surface Deep Bleaching

Deep bleaching can be a great solution, but it only solves one particular problem. This process works to lighten your natural enamel 8-10 shades, and possibly the layer directly below it, but only slightly. If you have stains below your enamel or chips or cracks in your teeth, deep bleaching will not be effective. In addition, if you have tooth replacements such as tooth implants or crowns, deep bleaching will have an uneven effect on them.

Full Set of Veneers

If you want a more robust solution, porcelain veneers are a great option. They will whiten your teeth, while filling gaps and straightening a few crooked outliers. You can also skip over any crowns or implants. Veneers may require a large investment of time and money, though, as they are permanent and may need replacing every 10-15 years. If you only have one tooth that needs a little cover-up, this may be an excessive fix.

Teeth Bonding: Just Right 

The happy medium solution for just one chipped or broken tooth could be teeth bonding. During this process, your dentist will shape your tooth out of a composite resin, matching the shade to the rest of your smile. Once you’re both satisfied with the shape and size of your new, natural-looking tooth, you’ll be good to go until your next dental visit. To find out if teeth bonding can work for your specific case, contact your dentist for a  consultation.