Dental bonding is the process of fixing teeth that are cracked, chipped, discolored, or misshapen. Dentists match a tooth resin to the color of the rest of your teeth, and then they adhereit to the damaged area of the tooth to give it an even, uniform look. It is a fairly simple procedure; it can be done in one visit, is relatively cheap, and it doesn’t involve removing as much enamel as other procedures
do.
Veneers and Crowns
Veneers and crowns are meant to fix the same problems as dental bonding—they cover stains and discoloration and hide chips and cracks. Crowns are “caps” that cover the entire tooth, and are also often used for medical reasons (such as strengthening decayed or damaged teeth). Veneers are tooth-colored shells that are placed on the surface of the teeth; they can also change the size of your teeth, close gaps, and fix teeth that are irregularly shaped. Both of these options will usually last longer and are more stain-resistant than dental bonding, but they are also more expensive. Veneers and crowns have to be manufactured in labs outside the office, which makes them both more expensive and time consuming. And since a layer of your teeth has to be scraped away to attach the veneer or crown, they can also be potentially more dangerous.