Minor flaws like a small space between two teeth, a barely visible chip, or one tooth that appears longer than the rest may cause you to feel unhappy with your smile’s appearance. However, cosmetic dentistry services, such as bonding or contouring can address minor issues and help you achieve a more beautiful smile.

What is Bonding?

Bonding is often referred to as “additive” because we use it to build up a tooth where you could use more. We may also bond a camouflaging layer of material over an area suffering from esthetic damage. To bond your tooth, we will use composite, a synthetic acrylic-resin material that we color-match to your tooth’s shade. After applying layers of composite to the target site, we will shape it, set the composite, and polish your tooth. Benefits include:

  • Camouflaging minor cracks or stains
  • Filling spaces between teeth
  • Lengthening individual teeth for a more symmetrical smile
  • Improving minor chips
  • Bonding is budget-friendly and typically requires a single visit

What is Contouring?

We often suggest that patients think of dental contouring as the complement to bonding. Rather than adding to your tooth, contouring safely removes a miniscule amount of your tooth’s outermost layer, the enamel, to improve textural and esthetic concerns. We will use a polishing instrument to buff a small amount of tissue from your tooth. Contouring is comfortable, may not require an anesthetic, and provides the following benefits:

  • Smoothed tooth edges, particularly in the case of sharp, pointed, or jagged teeth
  • Reduction of long teeth that interrupt your smile’s symmetry
  • The gentle reduction of a tooth overlapping another, creating a more aligned appearance
  • Improvement of issues with surface texture, such as mild pitting
  • Like bonding, contouring is budget-friendly and is generally completed within one visit

Schedule a Consultation About Bonding or Contouring With Us

Bonding and contouring are two cosmetic dentistry services we offer to help you achieve the smile you want. For more information, please contact one of our Riverside Dental Group offices. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.