If you’re looking into or have already gotten tooth bonding, you’ll be lucky enough to enjoy your ideal smile for years to come! Especially with proper maintenance, tooth bonding can last for over a decade. Even still, it doesn’t last forever. The composite resin we use on dental bonds is a strong acrylic–in other words, it’s plastic! While fairly resistant to erosion, it can wear down over time.
Thankfully, tooth bonding is easy to repair and replace. Because it is non-permanent, it is both reversible and fixable with a short office visit. Our cosmetic dentist in Rock Hill, SC can assess your current bonds to see if they need repair or replacement. If you’re hoping to get bonds for the first time, we’d be happy to consult with you about your health, your budget, and your smile preferences.
How to Tell if Your Tooth Bonding Needs to Be Replaced
The best way to tell if your tooth bonding is worn, cracked, or needs replacement is to talk with our dentist. However, you can potentially gauge the strength of your bonds with a quick visual assessment. Here are some signs that your bonds may need a refresh:
- The edges are sharp or jagged
- They are discolored or stained
- They feel loose
- Parts or all of the bond has fallen off
- Your bite has changed or feels strange
If you notice signs of wear, schedule an appointment. It may be cheaper and easier to repair a damaged bond than to start the process from scratch; however, both repairs and replacement are better than letting your bonds fall off or break.
What Happens if You Don’t Get Your Bonds Replaced?
If you decide you don’t like dental bonds, that’s no big deal. You can choose not to get them replaced (as long as they aren’t cavity fillings); however, you shouldn’t let them wear down, break, or fall off on their own. Talk with your dentist about having cosmetic tooth bonds removed. Letting them sit on your teeth until all of the resin has chipped away can endanger your teeth and gums.
Many people get bonds to protect their natural teeth from decay, tooth grinding, or sensitivity. If your teeth were already at a higher risk of injury or decay before bonds, then they need closer monitoring than your other teeth. A broken bond can put teeth that were already high-risk at even greater risk.
Even healthy teeth can be at a higher risk of injury if tooth bonds aren’t repaired or removed. Bonds are most effective at fending off plaque bacteria when they’re whole and in one piece. The more they wear and chip, the more likely it is that bacteria will be able to get under the composite and decay your teeth. Your toothbrush can’t reach there, but bacteria definitely can.
Visit Kind Dental to Check in on the Health of Your Dental Bonds
Whether you’re looking into cosmetic bonding for the first time, or you need someone to check up on your bonds, Kind Dental can help. We serve residents of Rock Hill, South Carolina in all areas of their dental and oral health. We can not only use composite resin to treat chipped, cracked, and decayed teeth, but we can aesthetically improve your smile.
Schedule an appointment today by booking online or calling 803-615-2546.
