Composite Bonding vs Veneers – Which Is better?
With so many dental treatments out there, it can be overwhelming to know which one is best for your teeth. As with anything dental-related, always discuss with your dentist the treatment you would like before making any decisions; this is just a guide to help you. In this blog post, we are going to compare the two treatments and decide which one is best.
What is composite bonding?
Composite bonding is a treatment that is used to fix the shape or colour of teeth; such as to fill gaps, improve discoloration, and repair chips, fractures, or decay. The way composite bonding works is that the dentist will find a resin colour that matches your teeth best. After that, the tooth is prepared for treatment by roughening the edges. The resin is applied to the teeth and is then molded into the required shape in the process. This hardens using UV light and is then molded again and polished to finalise. This is to ensure it matches the other teeth in your mouth.
What are the benefits?
Composite bonding is known as the easiest and non-invasive of all cosmetic dental procedures. There are 4 steps involved in the process, therefore it is a quick procedure. Also, your teeth structure stays the same after the treatment and no tissue is removed in the process. As well as this, there is no downtime; unlike with other treatments, you can bite down on your teeth after treatment comfortably.
Composite bonding is overall a great treatment for fixing minor cosmetic issues.
What are veneers?
Veneers, like composite bonding, are another form of cosmetic dentistry that you can have to improve the appearance of your teeth. A veneer is a thin layer of porcelain that is applied to the front of the teeth. Also like Composite bonding, the veneer is custom made to fit the shape and size of your teeth and mouth. People often choose to have veneers if they want to change the appearance of their smile.
What are the benefits?
One of the benefits of veneers is that they are highly resistant to staining, which means that you don’t have to worry about them changing colour over time. As well as this, they are one of the best treatments for improving more than one aspect of your teeth i.e veneers can improve the shape, colour, length, alignment, or can be used to close gaps or cover chips. Also, gum tissues respond well to porcelain dental veneers.
Veneers are overall a great option for improving the appearance of the teeth.
Overall: Composite bonding or veneers?
In summary, both of these are great treatments that we’d recommend for enhancing your teeth i.e. the way that they look. However, the key differences between the two is that composite covers more of the tooth. Whereas, veneers only cover the front of the teeth. As well as this, composite bonding is typically a quicker treatment and can be done in one visit, whereas veneers may take up to a couple of visits. We believe that composite bonding is a better treatment overall, as it is a simple and effective treatment and is painless so does not require anesthesia.
This being said, it is always dependent on your teeth and what your dental purpose is i.e whether you want to change the colour of your teeth or the size etc. Your dentist will be able to advise you on what the best treatment is for you, based on your teeth and concerns.
To read more about the specific procedures that we offer as a practice for these treatments, please see our cosmetic dentistry page.
