Habits to Avoid After Getting Dental Bonding

Dental bonding (also known as tooth bonding) is a procedure that involves a dentist applying a tooth-colored resin material to one or more of your teeth and then, hardens it with a special light to repair or improve one’s teeth. The tooth bonding procedure uses resin which is long-lasting plastic material and is cost-effective than procedures involving crowns and veneers.

Dental bonding is also a quick procedure that hardly interferes with your daily activities. The procedure lasts between 30 to 60 minutes. 

Reasons for dental bonding

• Usually, it is done for one or more of the following reasons:
• Repair damaged teeth (could be decayed, chipped, or cracked)
• Fill cavities and/or spaces between teeth
• Improve your smile by whitening your teeth
• Change the appearance or shape of your teeth
• Protect your exposed tooth roots when your gums recede
• Alternative to amalgam findings

Habits to avoid after dental bonding

The following are habits that should be avoided as tooth bonding aftercare:

• Eating foods and beverages that stain- Certain foods and drinks can stain your teeth as well as areas where you had the procedure. The resin used stains particularly easily and should be kept away from foods that can distort its color. These include red wine, coffee, sweets and candies, berries, curries, and tea.  Acidic foods like citrus juices and tomato sauce should also be avoided. These food items can cause discoloration and spoil your smile. They can also alter the structure of the bonding
• Smoking or chewing tobacco- Tobacco products can stain or discolor the bonding material. When you smoke or chew it, it can change its color from white to yellow and/or brown
• Biting and chewing hard -After your procedure, it’s best to avoid chewy foods and require you to bite hard. These include hard candies, gummy and sticky sweets, candies, ice, popcorn kernel, nuts, etc. These things can get stuck around your teeth, scratch off the material used in bonding or cause your bonded teeth to loosen. If you will have to eat hard things, bite, or chew them with your molars- the teeth located towards the back of the mouth. For gummy or sticky sweets, suck on them instead

Habits like biting and chewing non-food items-These include your fingernails, pens and/or pen-covers, pencils, and nylon packages, amongst others. They often become habits over time. If you do not eliminate these bad habits, they can wear down the resin material used for dental bonding and your tooth enamel

Even grinding or clenching your teeth (also known as bruxism) can weaken the bonding and your tooth enamel. Bruxism can be a bad habit, while some only do it when they sleep or are stressed.

Protecting your smile is one way to self-love. Hence, tooth bonding is a remedy to gaps, discoloration, and/or chipped teeth. However, aftercare is also important to preserve that smile and make the procedure worthwhile.

Request an appointment here: https://totalcareimplantdentistry.com or call Total Care Implant Dentistry at (760) 394-3088 for an appointment in our Palm Desert office.

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