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Dental Bonding Procedures

Dental bonding--or dental adhesion--is the process of attaching composite resin to a patient's tooth using a bonding agent, according to "Torres and Ehrlich Modern Dental Assisting." Tooth-colored composite resin is used to restore teeth that are chipped or that have cavities. Dental bonding has many benefits: Not only can improve a tooth's function or appearance but it is more cost-effective than other procedures involving crowns or veneers. Several critical procedures are involved in dental bonding.

  1. Tooth Preparation

    • A major dental bonding procedure involves first preparing a tooth that has a cavity. This must take place before a composite resin material can be bonded to the tooth. The dentist uses a high-speed drill to remove any diseased tooth structure while still allowing healthy tooth structure to remain to hold the resin restoration. If necessary, the dentist will administer local anesthesia near a nerve where treatment is taking place in order to numb the area. Dentists also can choose to isolate the tooth to be worked on using a dental rubber dam to control moisture, or they can apply cotton rolls near the area to absorb the flow of saliva during simple restorations. Otherwise, saliva can contaminate the tooth preparation, according to "Torres and Ehrlich Modern Dental Assisting."

    Etching

    • When working on a tooth that has been prepared for a restoration, a dentist or expanded function dental assistant must clean debris from the preparation and then apply dental etchant to the tooth. Dental etchant is an agent that removes the "smear layer" from the tooth so that the chemical bond between the tooth and the new composite resin restoration will be strong.

      The smear layer is a thin layer of debris that consists of tooth components and fluids that remain after the cavity preparation is completed. If not removed, this layer can affect the pulp--the part of the root of a tooth that includes the nerves and blood vessels--and eventually can cause tooth sensitivity or pain following the procedure. Etchant typically remains on the tooth for 15 to 30 seconds, and then the tooth is rinsed and dried for 15 to 30 seconds, according to "Torres and Ehrlich Modern Dental Assisting."

    Bonding

    • Following the etching procedure, the bonding agent is applied to the cavity preparation and lightly air-thinned, according to "Torres and Ehrlich Modern Dental Assisting." Afterward, the dentist or dental assistant carefully applies the composite resin to the tooth and shapes it to the desired appearance. If required, a matrix band can be used to serve as a temporary wall against which the resin is placed. One of the last procedures in dental bonding is to harden the resin using a high intensity light, reports Docshop.com. The resin must be applied in layers and light cured following each layer application. The composite resin restoration finally must be buffed and polished using rubber cups and polishing paste as well as finishing strips, which are used for areas between teeth.

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