A bloke popped into Envy Smile Dental last week looking right fed up with his smile line. He had one central tooth that sat a couple of millimetres shorter than the other, and his lateral edges had little jagged dips from years of nervous clenching at his desk.
He looked at me and went: can tooth bonding actually fix uneven teeth, or do I have to wear metal train-track braces for two years?
I told him: mate, you do not need braces for minor uneven edges. Tooth bonding is built for this exact job.
Some dentists will tell you to grind down your longer teeth so they match the shorter ones. That drives me crazy. Why shave away healthy, sound enamel that can never grow back? With composite resin, we do the complete opposite. We leave your long teeth alone and simply build up the short ones until your smile line is level.
I washed his teeth, put on a quick dab of blue etch, and brushed on liquid adhesive. Then I patted white composite paste along the shorter edges using a miniature plastic instrument. He watched in a little hand mirror while I curved the edges so they followed the line of his lower lip. Our blue light gun buzzed for twenty seconds to set the resin rock solid, and I buffed the edges with fine sandpaper discs.
He spent around 45 minutes in our chair, didn’t have any needles, and walked out with an even, balanced smile.
People always ask how long it lasts. You will easily get five or six years before you need a quick polish to get rid of tea stains. Just treat your front teeth with common sense. Slice crusty baguettes with a bread knife, and avoid using your teeth to bite open plastic parcel packaging.
Visit our page on composite bonding London to explore treatment options, costs, and expert advice.
The insights shared in our articles are meant to educate and inform, not to replace a face-to-face consultation. Every smile is unique, and a proper diagnosis can only be made by a qualified clinical professional. Please book an appointment with our team or consult your local dentist for advice tailored to your specific oral health needs.
