What’s the Difference Between Bonding and Veneers?

A sparkling, flawless smile is attainable thanks to cosmetic dentistry. At Madison Family Dental Group, top-quality dentists Shiva Salehi, DDS, and Benjamin Radlein, DDS, offer a variety of procedures to enhance your smile, including a complete smile makeover. 

Bonding and veneers are two of the cosmetic treatments we provide. If you’re unsure about which procedure is right for you, we can help guide you to the right solution when you schedule a personalized consultation. 

Dental bonding for repairing chips and cracks

Bonding involves applying a composite or plastic resin to a tooth to improve its appearance. The procedure effectively covers broken or chipped teeth and restores your smile. Bonding can also fill in small gaps and lengthen teeth that are shorter than others so your smile is even.

We prep the tooth to be treated by etching the surface so that it’s rough enough to take on the fluid that improves adherence of bonding material. Then we apply the bonding compound and mold it to match the shape of your natural teeth. A UV light hardens the coating.

Veneers for rejuvenating your smile

Veneers are very thin porcelain covers that fit over your natural teeth to rejuvenate your smile. Veneers address a variety of issues, such as gaps, chips, misaligned teeth, and discoloration.

To prepare your teeth for veneers, we file down the enamel of your teeth to make room for the porcelain overlay. We take a mold of your teeth and send it to a lab to create custom veneers that perfectly match the shape and color of your teeth.

When the custom veneers return from the lab, you come in to have them placed. We use a special dental cement and UV light for hardening.

Choosing between bonding and veneers

There are many things to consider when deciding on whether to choose bonding or veneers. 

Veneers more comprehensively address dental flaws. If you have multiple issues or want to rejuvenate your entire smile, veneers are an excellent option. And veneers are made of porcelain, so they’re resistant to staining.

Bonding covers a small portion of your tooth and is effective at addressing minor issues that prevent you from having a flawless smile. If you have a chipped or cracked tooth, bonding can come to the rescue. 

If you have several teeth that need a makeover, veneers may be a better option.

If you desire a beautiful smile, rely on us at Madison Family Dental Group in Fair Oaks, California. Get started today by scheduling a comprehensive evaluation to discuss how we can help you love your smile. Call our office to schedule an appointment or request an appointment using our online system.