Composite Bonding

Composite bonding is the application of white filling material to your front teeth to adjust their shape and colour. It can normally be undertaken with very little damage to your natural teeth.

Compared to porcelain, white filling material has the advantage of being a lower initial investment and requiring minimal removal of healthy tooth tissue. It works well for replacing small portions of teeth.

The main disadvantage of white filling material is that it does not look quite as natural as porcelain. It is also built up on the surface of your teeth, so we are not able to control colour and shape as effectively. When used to replace larger portions of teeth it has a tendency to chip and stain and will not last as long as porcelain.

Although composite bonding is a lower initial investment, if the costs of repair over time are factored in, it is likely that the cost over 20 years will be similar to porcelain veneers. In fact in many situations after 3-7 years, patients choose to have composite bonding replaced with porcelain veneers to improve the aesthetics.

Current research suggests that after between 3-7 years the composite bonding will be stained and chipped to the point that patients request further treatment. At this stage the only feasible treatment option is to place porcelain veneers. This is a significant further investment patients must be prepared for.