Is Composite Bonding Suitable for You?
This page is for anyone asking whether they are suitable for composite bonding. At Deepcar Dental Care, tooth decay and gum disease are treated first, and crowding can be addressed with aligners first. Whitening before bonding is optional. Teeth grinding, bonding after orthodontic treatment and gum health each have their own page.
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Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, dentist · GDC 301711
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It does not replace an examination or treatment by a dentist.
This page is reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, the practice's principal dentist and a General Dental Practitioner (GDC 301711). His qualifications are BDS, BSc (Hons), MSc (Leeds), PG Dip Implant Dentistry and PG Cert Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry.
What does this section cover?
This section covers questions about who can have composite bonding, what comes first and where each suitability question is answered. Composite bonding uses tooth-coloured filling material to build up or reshape teeth, which can improve their appearance. Treatment steps and prices are not covered here.
What should you know about suitability for composite bonding?
At Deepcar Dental Care, some conditions are treated first. The points to know include:
- Active tooth decay (caries): this is treated first.
- Gum disease: this is treated first.
- Crowding: this can be addressed with aligners first, and bonding is ideally done once aligner treatment has finished.
Which suitability question do you have?
Teeth grinding, orthodontic treatment and gum health each have their own suitability page.
Teeth grinding (bruxism)
Teeth grinding is also known as bruxism. At Deepcar Dental Care, a night guard is required for composite bonding patients who grind their teeth. What grinding means for bonding is covered in how teeth grinding affects composite bonding.
After orthodontic treatment
British Orthodontic Society patient information says teeth tend to move back towards their original positions after braces (relapse), and retainers are essential in almost all cases to help prevent this. Bonding afterwards is covered in planning bonding after orthodontic treatment.
Gum health
What gum disease and gum health mean for bonding is covered in how gum health relates to composite bonding.
If you are considering composite bonding, book an appointment online or call 0114 288 2121.
What is covered elsewhere?
Other sections cover related topics. The dental hygiene section covers hygiene appointments. Repairing decayed teeth belongs to restorative dentistry, which focuses on saving natural teeth.
The treatment itself is set out in what happens during composite bonding, and composite bonding is introduced on the main bonding page.
Being suitable is not the same as deciding that bonding is right for you. For that decision, the page on working out which option suits weighs up the trade-offs.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need teeth whitening before composite bonding?
No. At Deepcar Dental Care, whitening before composite bonding is optional, not required. NHS guidance says teeth whitening can only lighten the colour of natural teeth. If you want lighter natural teeth as well as bonding, whitening can be done first.
Is composite bonding available on the NHS?
Not usually when it is done for appearance. NHS guidance says the NHS provides clinically necessary treatment needed to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy, and that you will usually need to get cosmetic treatments privately. It adds that decisions about which treatment is appropriate are based on your dentist's assessment and clinical judgement.
Does the condition of my enamel matter for composite bonding?
It can, because composite bonds differently to enamel and to dentine, the layer beneath it. A 2020 review of dental adhesion concludes that dentine in non-carious cervical lesions, areas of exposed dentine near the gum line not caused by decay, is still the most challenging and unpredictable surface on the tooth crown for adhesion.
Book a consultation.
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Contact Deepcar Dental Care through the online booking portal or on 0114 288 2121.
334 Manchester Road
Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH
0114 288 2121
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Opening hours
Open 8am to 8pm, seven days
Free parking at the door