Cosmetic bonding, also known as dental bonding, is a process that has been widely used for years by dentists to repair minor damage to teeth and restore the appearance of a smile in only one visit. The process involves the use of tooth-coloured resin applied to the damage area which is moulded to the desired shape and set hard by a laser. Because of its pliability and versatility, cosmetic bonding is used for a wide variety of dental treatments.
One of the most common uses for dental bonding is as material for filling cavities. Dental cavities used to be filled using a material made of silver and mercury amalgam. This was very durable but over recent years has caused great controversy about its safety. Several studies have shown that silver amalgam fillings release mercury vapours that may be very damaging to the body. Silver amalgam fillings are also very aesthetically unpleasant so many patients and dentists have switched to white dental bonding. For very large fillings it may not be suitable to use dental bonding as it is weaker in larger amounts, but a dentist may be able to use a combination of bonding and a ceramic inlay.
Cosmetic bonding is also commonly used to repair chips and cracks in teeth. The resin bonding needs to be skilfully sculpted by the dentist before it is hardened using the extreme heat of the laser. Before application, the dentist will usually thoroughly clean the area before etching the enamel to allow for a greater degree of grip for the bonding resin. The bonding is often applied in several thin layers of one to two millimetres to allow for satisfactory setting. Once the bonding is activated and hardened by the laser it can then be buffed and polished by the dentist to more closely resemble tooth enamel.
Nearly all dentists offer cosmetic bonding as standard although some will specialise more in the procedure. Bonding is an extremely useful dental process that is simple and affordable and can be used to restore the appearance of broken, decayed or discoloured teeth in a single afternoon. A dentist in Leeds will be able to offer cosmetic bonding to treat any dental problem you may be experiencing or simply to replace old amalgam fillings for your peace of mind.
Cosmetic bonding is one of the most easily affordable and useful of the cosmetic dentistry procedures. It has a wide variety of uses but is particularly useful for the repair of cracked, chipped or broken teeth. It can also be used, however, for the cosmetic improvement of worn, unevenly spaced or 
A lot has been written about dental amalgam fillings over the past few years and it is difficult to ascertain what is true and what is simply scaremongering. Dental amalgam fillings are strong and durable alloy fillings, usually comprised of a mix of 46 to 57 per cent silver and 43 to 54 per cent liquid mercury. Amalgam fillings, often referred to as silver fillings, were invented in France in the 1800s and have been used all over the world to fill cavities in patients teeth. In more recent years, amalgam fillings have been replaced in many areas by composite resin fillings. These resin filings have the advantage of being tooth coloured and therefore don’t stand out as much as silver fillings.
Until the advent of composite resin fillings, or white fillings as they are more commonly known, patients had little choice but to have unseemly amalgam fillings. These amalgam fillings, invented in France in the early 1800s, had been widely used around the world to fill dental cavities. Made form an alloy of silver and mercury, these amalgam fillings, while very strong, were very noticeable in the mouth. They also expanded over time causing further damage to teeth and were notoriously difficult to fit, with dentists often having to inflict unnecessary damage on teeth to fix them. More concerning is the controversy that surrounds amalgam fillings with regards poisonous and dangerous mercury vapours that are released into the body when placed and during eating. Although this has never been resolutely confirmed it is enough of a concern to many patients to want to have them replaced.