You want a nice smile. That’s understandable. It’s something most people would like to have.
But few of us have perfect smiles. Chipped teeth happen. Broken teeth happen. Teeth become stained or discolored as we get older, too.
Then again, you could have other issues, such as a gap between your teeth or teeth that aren’t as straight as you would like.
For all the situations mentioned above, cosmetic dentistry could help. And today, we want to discuss two services that we offer for our patients in and around Woodbury, MN. Tooth bonding and dental veneers are simple, fast, and effective ways to improve the appearance of your smile.
We will discuss each of these services below. If you would like to know how you could get either of them, schedule a consultation at the office of Dr. Mark W. Wilhelm. You can reach us online, or you can call (651) 319-9064.
Tooth Bonding
This is also sometimes called dental bonding. It’s one of the easiest ways to make minor repairs and improvements to your smile.
We say minor in relative terms because we know something like a chipped tooth or a gap between teeth does make some people self-conscious about smiling. We want every patient to feel confident about their smiles. For many people, tooth bonding is the perfect fix.
Tooth bonding involves applying a composite resin to your teeth. This resin will harden after it has been applied, then it can be polished and shaded to match the color of your natural teeth. This way, it looks like a normal part of your smile.
Let’s say you were eating popcorn while watching the latest movie blockbuster. During a particularly intense part of the film, you bite down — hard — only to discover an unpopped kernel instead of more of your puffy, buttery snack. This could cause you to chip part of a tooth or teeth.
When you noticed this in the mirror, you may want to do something about it. Often, tooth bonding is just what you need. The resin can restore the shape of your tooth so no one will know what happened (unless you tell them, of course).
With proper care, this can last for several years.
But what if you have a longstanding issue, such as a gap in your teeth, and you are at a point where you want to close it? Again, dental bonding might be the solution for you.
Depending on the size of the gap, we may be able to layer the bonding material on each side to make your teeth look a little wider. This can hide the extra space that you don’t want in your smile.
Dental Veneers
You might say that dental veneers are a step up from tooth bonding.
Veneers are one of the most versatile services in all of dentistry. Like tooth bonding, veneers can be used to fix chipped and broken teeth. Veneers also can be used to close gaps between teeth.
But veneers can do much, much more.
In general, veneers last longer than dental bonding (again assuming proper care and maintenance). You can get a veneer for one tooth. You can get veneers for multiple teeth. You can get veneers for every tooth in the front of your mouth.
In a sense, veneers are like fake fingernails. They are a kind of cover that is bonded to the front of your tooth or teeth to conceal what they look like. With veneers in place you can transform the outward appearance of your smile, much like changing the facade on the front of a building.
Because of this, veneers can do everything that tooth bonding can do and a few things that bonding can’t.
For example, veneers can make your teeth look as white as you want them to be. By applying veneers to the front of your teeth, you can hide the yellow stains in your smile.
Many people also use veneers to make their smiles look straighter. Now, this won’t work for every alignment problem. But, if you have crooked or crowded teeth, veneers can change your smile in a matter of weeks.
Are You Interested In A Better Smile
If so, then we welcome you to visit Dr. Wilhelm and our team in Woodbury, MN. Find out if tooth bonding or dental veneers can change your smile.
Call us at (651) 319-9064 or fill out our online form to request an appointment soon.
