The dental procedure known as “bonding” got the name because that’s what the composite resin material used in the procedure does. It bonds to a tooth.
When the surface of a tooth is chipped, discolored, cracked or decayed, your dentist can use bonding to restore the tooth’s shape and appearance. Bonding is also used to close gaps between teeth, give teeth a longer look and protect roots that have been exposed by receding gums. It has even been used in replacing older, silver amalgam fillings with a more tooth-colored solution.
In terms of dental history, amalgam fillings, like the silver kind many of us got as children have been around a lot longer than fillings made of the composite material used in bonding. Research comparing the two methods is still ongoing, but there’s good reason to believe that composites are an excellent alternative.
One immediate benefit can be found in the fact that, unlike amalgam fillings, composites contain no mercury. On the downside, it has been noted that composite materials may be prone to staining; that, however, only happens after quite a long while.
Another plus is the continued research that is increasing the strength of composite bonding materials.
Also encouraging, is the fact that dentists may be able to leave more tooth intact when using a composite filling since, unlike amalgam, the composite material actually bonds to the tooth, rather than simply fill a cavity.
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