Veneers and bonding are used to correct misaligned, chipped, broken or discolored teeth. A veneer is a product that covers the whole front of the tooth, while bonding involves building up a new surface using composite (or filling) material. Veneers last longer than bonding; while more expensive, they do not require replacing as frequently. For professional bonding and veneers in Westchester, IL, visit our state-of-the-art dental office.
Veneers
Special thin laminates, called veneers, can be used to correct discolored, worn down, cracked and chipped teeth. Veneers can also be used to close unsightly gaps between teeth. In just two or three dental visits, a veneer can reverse years of stains caused by foods, caffeine and tobacco use.
An impression of the tooth is made and a veneer molded by a lab technician. The process involves buffing the tooth, removing an extremely thin layer of the tooth to allow for the thickness of the veneer, and final bonding of the veneer to the tooth with special cement. Because veneers require a small amount of enamel to be removed, they are permanent and non-reversible.
Bonding
An alternative to veneers is a process called bonding, in which a tooth-colored material that looks like the enamel of your teeth is molded and shaped, and then hardened and polished. Bonding is used to improve the color of a tooth or close unsightly gaps.
Bonding is generally not as permanent a process as veneers and is vulnerable to the same kind of staining your natural teeth are prone to. Bonding is also more prone to chips and cracks than veneers.