Dental Bonding and Veneers Explained By Our Santa Monica Aesthetic Dentists

Written by Dr. Follette on Sep 6, 2016

Successful dental treatment is all about evaluating all of your options and making a thoughtful choice about what kind of dental solution is right for you. Our Santa Monica dental team is here to give you all of the information that you need about the treatments we offer. Today we are getting started by talking about dental bonding and cosmetic veneers—let’s get started!

Veneers and dental bonding are used to achieve many of the same dental goals:

· Cover and whiten discolored dental enamel

· Correct dental damage

· Lengthen the appearance of short teeth

· Widen teeth to close gaps in the smile

· Make select teeth appear straighter and better aligned

The respective mechanics of these treatments, however, are slightly different. For example, cosmetic veneers are crafted from porcelain, so these cosmetic restorations are actually created and perfected before your final dental appointment. Cosmetic bonding, on the other hand, utilizes composite resin. This allows our dental team to shape and size the resin on your tooth, while you’re in the dentist’s chair. Veneers generally take about three appointments to complete, while dental bonding is done in just one day.

Another thing to keep in mind is that porcelain veneers are generally much more expensive than dental bonding. Also, if your bonding becomes compromised or damaged, our team can easily fix it; porcelain veneers need to be replaced when they are damaged.

Both veneers and composite bonding can help patients achieve their structural and aesthetic dental goals. Some people even choose to use these treatments in combination for optimal results. Our Santa Monica dentists will help you assess these treatment options, so that you can ultimately make the perfect decision for your smile! Call our helpful dental team when you are ready to get started—we are here to help!