Dental Bonding in Springfield, IL

When we place fillings in our office, we use a tooth-colored composite material that we can match the natural shade of your teeth. This composite resin material comes in a wide variety of tooth shades, and Dr. Shane Ruggless uses his artistic skills to blend it in with your healthy tooth structure. We can use that same composite material to make small repairs to your teeth. 

The resin material mimics the translucency found in your tooth enamel, making it appear natural. Dr. Ruggless can even contour the resin to match the surface of natural teeth so that no one will ever know that you've had a cosmetic dental treatment.

We complete bonding in a single visit, and it is durable as well as protective. While the white resin can instantly improve and enhance the appearance of your tooth immediately, dental bonding is not as strong as your natural enamel. The cosmetic dental filling is more likely to chip, stain, or break than a natural tooth.

With proper care and maintenance, dental bonding can last up to five years before needing a touch-up.

Benefits of Dental Bonding Procedures

Dental bonding can be used for preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dental issues. From fillings to lengthening teeth to same-day emergency chipped teeth—our Springfield, IL dentist can offer any dental treatment you need!

While there are many benefits to dental bonding, the most common ones are:

• Repair chipped or cracked teeth.
• Restore decayed teeth
• Enhance stained or discolored teeth
• Fill in gaps between teeth
• Lengthen short or stubby teeth
• Change the shape of a tooth
• An attractive alternative to metal fillings
• Protect a tooth from gum recession
• A cost-effective way to improve your smile
• Finished in one procedure
• Enamel wear-and-tear

Unlike other cosmetic procedures such as veneers and dental crowns, bonding allows us to preserve your healthy tooth structure. We improve your smile by adding to, not taking away from, your natural teeth. For small improvements, this means less prep work and no lab time. Because we do the work right here in our dentist office, it is easy on your pocketbook and on your time. In most cases, we can complete your procedure in one visit.

If you have significant decay or a fractured tooth, bonding, or tooth-colored composite fillings, may not offer enough stability to protect your tooth. The effectiveness of bonding is best when the cosmetic flaws are small and do not compromise the overall structure of your tooth. As with all dental services, the wear and tear from day-to-day use may cause damage over time and eventually need replacement.

If you maintain your regular dental exams and dental cleanings, and if you wear a protective nightguard if you need one, you can prolong the life of your dentistry. Read on to learn more about how to care for your bonding.

Caring for Your Bonded Teeth 

Taking care of your new cosmetic dental treatment is as simple as caring for your natural teeth. Daily brushing and flossing are essential to keeping your treatment looking beautiful, along with regular dental check-ups and exams.

During your dental cleanings in Springfield, IL, Dr. Ruggless will visually inspect your dental bonding to ensure it is intact and sealed. If used as a filling, your dentist will check to see that it has not moved, which can allow tooth decay to develop again.

While tooth-colored composite resin looks and feels just like your natural enamel, it is not as durable and can stain much easier. Drinking coffee, tea, wine, alcohol, and using tobacco products can stain the dental bonding easily. We recommend that our patients avoid any food or beverages that can stain for the first 48 hours immediately after the procedure to prevent staining.

While dental bonding can restore your ability to chew and eat, it can still break when eating hard foods like candy, ice, and other substances. In order to keep your dental bonding intact, we recommend avoiding substances that can chip your enamel

Dr. Shane Ruggless and his knowledgeable dental staff are always happy to provide in-depth after-care information following any dental procedure. We want to ensure that your dental treatments keep your smile looking and feeling healthy for as long as possible!

When you look in the mirror, do you like what is reflected back? Smile imperfections can take away from our beautiful features, no matter how nice everything else looks on us. A less than perfect smile can also affect our self-esteem and confidence, which can be apparent to other people. You don’t have to have to live with a smile that you’re not happy about.

Contact Our Springfield, IL Dentist Office Today!

Dr. Shane Ruggless knows that cosmetic dentistry is a personalized smile makeover plan that is unique to each patient. During your first dental consultation, we can go over all the dental procedures that are available for you, based on your needs and current oral condition. Contact Ruggless Dental today at (217) 787-0212 to schedule your next dental exam. Every one of us prides ourselves on providing the type of dental care that will make you smile.