Composite Bonding

What it is

Composite is a tooth-colored resin. It is the same material used for a white filling. The resin is placed on the tooth, shaped by hand, and hardened with a curing light.

Most bonding takes one visit. There is no lab and no temporary, so the tooth is usually finished the same day.

What it fixes well

• A chipped cornerThe most common reason people ask about bonding.
• A small space between two teethClosed by adding width to the neighboring edges.
• An edge worn flatRebuilt to match the tooth beside it.
• A tooth that sits shortLengthened to even out the smile line.

Bonding adds material to the tooth. Most cases call for little or no enamel removal, so the tooth underneath stays whole. That matters, because enamel does not grow back.

What it does not do

Composite picks up stain. Coffee, tea, and red wine reach it the way they reach a natural tooth, and it does not polish back the way enamel does.

It also chips. The edge of a front tooth takes real force, and composite is not as strong as the tooth it sits on. If you grind at night, bonding needs repair sooner.

When a tooth is cracked, mostly filling, or under a heavy bite, a crown holds up better. That conversation belongs at the first visit, not after bonding has been replaced twice.

How long it lasts

Bonding is a repair, not a permanent restoration. Plan on polishing, touch-ups, and replacement in time. How long yours lasts depends on where it sits, how you bite, and whether you grind.

What the visit looks like

The majority of bonding cases need no numbing, because material is added rather than drilled away. The shade is matched in daylight. The composite is shaped, cured, checked against the bite, and polished. Most people eat normally the same day.

Bonding cases

Photos shown with patient permission. Results vary based on oral health, anatomy, and treatment goals.

Dr. McCarthy practices at two offices in Quincy, MA. Office details are on the Locations page.