Bonding

Dental bonding at Driftwood Dental Studio in Wilmington, NC repairs a chipped, cracked, stained, worn or slightly gapped tooth in a single visit, usually with no anesthetic. Dr. Jenny Turek or Dr. Prasad Vasamsetti sculpts tooth-colored composite resin directly onto the tooth, shapes it, hardens it with a light and polishes it to match your other teeth. Most bonding costs $200 to $500 per tooth, takes 30 to 60 minutes per tooth, and is the least expensive cosmetic treatment we offer.

Chipped a tooth? Call (910) 834-8787 or request an appointment online; bonding can often be done the same week.

What bonding can fix

• A chipped or cracked front tooth, including the corner chips that happen from a fall, a bottle cap or biting something hard
• Small gaps between front teeth
• A tooth that is shorter or a different shape than its neighbor
• Stains or dark spots that whitening does not remove
• Worn or uneven edges
• Exposed root surfaces near the gumline that are sensitive or look dark
• Replacing an old silver filling on a visible tooth with a tooth-colored one

Bonding is at its best for one or two teeth with small-to-medium problems. For a whole-smile change, badly worn or heavily filled teeth, or a very large break, porcelain veneers or a crown last longer and look better; we will tell you which is the right tool for your tooth.

This animation shows the most common reason patients come to us for bonding: a chipped front tooth.

You can see how a chip exposes the softer layer under the enamel and why even a small one is worth repairing promptly. Bonding restores the missing corner in a single visit and protects the tooth from further chipping.

Bonding vs. veneers vs. a crown

Bonding is resin applied in the office in one visit, costs the least, removes little or no enamel, and typically lasts 5 to 10 years before it needs touching up. It can stain over time and can chip if you bite something hard. A porcelain veneer is a lab-made ceramic shell over the front of the tooth, takes two to three visits, costs more ($900 – $1,500 per tooth), resists stains, and lasts 10 to 15 years or longer. A crown covers the whole tooth and is the answer when a tooth is broken down or cracked through. See our Cosmetic Dentistry page for how these fit together in a smile makeover.

What to expect at a bonding appointment

• We pick the shade. Composite comes in many shades and we match it to your tooth in natural light. If you are planning to whiten, do that first so the bonding matches your brighter shade; bonding does not whiten afterward.
• The tooth is prepared. The surface is lightly roughened and a bonding liquid applied so the resin grips. Anesthetic is usually not needed unless the chip is near a nerve or we are replacing a filling.
• The resin is sculpted. Your dentist builds the shape in thin layers, hardening each with a blue light, then trims and shapes it to fit your bite and match the neighboring tooth.
• Polish and check. The bonding is polished to the same sheen as enamel and we check your bite. You leave with the finished tooth; there is no lab wait and no temporary.

This is the same tooth-colored composite material we use for bonding, shown here repairing a front tooth.

The animation shows the tooth being lightly prepared, the composite being placed in layers and hardened with a light, and the final shaping and polishing that make it blend with the surrounding enamel. The whole process typically takes 30 to 60 minutes per tooth.

What dental bonding costs in Wilmington, NC

• Cosmetic bonding, per tooth: $200 – $500
• Bonding to replace a filling: $200 – $500, often partly covered by insurance as a filling
• Repair of existing bonding: $200 – $500 (a repair means redoing the bonding, so it is priced the same as new)

Purely cosmetic bonding is usually not covered by insurance; bonding that repairs a chip or replaces a filling often is, at least in part. We check your plan first. We are in-network with more than 30 plans, including Delta Dental, Cigna, MetLife, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Humana and Guardian, and we offer CareCredit and Sunbit financing; see our Financial Information page.

Caring for bonded teeth

Treat bonding like a natural tooth with one extra rule: it is not as hard as enamel, so avoid biting ice, pens, fingernails and hard candy, and do not use your teeth to open things. Coffee, tea, red wine and tobacco can stain resin over time, so rinse after and keep up your six-month cleanings, where we can polish the bonding. If you grind your teeth at night, a custom nightguard protects both the bonding and your natural teeth. If bonding ever chips, it can usually be redone in one short visit.

Frequently asked questions about dental bonding

How much does dental bonding cost in Wilmington?

At Driftwood, cosmetic bonding is typically $200 – $500 per tooth. Bonding that repairs damage or replaces a filling is often partly covered by insurance. CareCredit and Sunbit financing are available.

Does bonding hurt?

Usually not. Most cosmetic bonding is done without any anesthetic because we are adding material, not removing much. If a chip is deep or we are replacing a filling, we numb the tooth.

How long does bonding last?

Typically 5 to 10 years, depending on where the bonding is, how you bite and whether you grind. It can be touched up or redone easily.

Can bonding fix a gap between my front teeth?

Yes, for small to moderate gaps. We add resin to the sides of the two teeth to close the space, usually in one visit. Larger gaps may look better with veneers.

Will bonding match my other teeth?

Yes. We shade-match in natural light and layer the resin so it has the same depth and translucency as enamel. Whiten first if you plan to, so the match is to your final shade.

Can I get bonding the same day I chip a tooth?

Often, yes. Call us as soon as it happens; if the chip is small and the tooth is not painful, bonding can usually be done at the first visit, often the same week.

Bonding or a veneer?

For one small chip or gap, bonding is faster and far less expensive. For a tooth that is also discolored, several teeth at once, or a result you want to last 15 years, a porcelain veneer is the better investment. We will show you both at your visit.

Fix a chipped tooth in Wilmington

Driftwood Dental Studio is at 5225 Sigmon Rd Ste 130, Wilmington, NC 28403, off Market Street near Mayfaire, serving Wilmington, Ogden, Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Leland and Hampstead.

Call (910) 834-8787 or request an appointment online. New patients are welcome.