Tooth-coloured material shaped by hand and set with light — a gentle, affordable way to mend chips and cracks, cover discolouration, reshape a tooth or close a gap.
Most repairs take under an hour a tooth — and often no anaesthetic at all.
We start by looking closely at the tooth — the chip, the crack, the gap or the shade that bothers you — and talking honestly about whether bonding is the right answer. Sometimes it isn't, and we'll say so. One of the things patients like most about bonding is how little of the natural tooth needs preparing; most of your tooth stays exactly as it is.
We choose a tooth-coloured material to match the teeth around it, apply it to the tooth, and shape it by hand — rebuilding a chipped corner, evening out a worn edge, covering discolouration or closing a gap. This is careful, unhurried work; the shaping is what makes the result look like your own tooth.
Once the shape is right, a special light hardens the material and bonds it to your tooth. Most teeth take 30 to 60 minutes from start to finish, and because so little preparation is involved, anaesthetic is often unnecessary. If your tooth is tender or you'd simply feel better with the area numbed, just say — that's always your call.
“Thoroughly explaining everything and ensuring my comfort throughout my visits.”
Before you leave we check how the tooth looks and feels, and how your teeth meet when you bite. From there, a bonded tooth is cared for much like a natural one — brush, floss, and keep up your regular check-ups so we can keep an eye on the bonding over the years. If anything ever feels rough or looks different, come in and ask.
Bonding — what we describe on this page — uses tooth-coloured filling material shaped directly onto your tooth and set with a light, usually in a single sitting. Porcelain work, such as crowns, is custom-made in a laboratory and suits teeth that need more strength or more cover. Bonding is the more affordable of the two and needs very little of the natural tooth prepared. We'll examine your tooth and tell you honestly which one it actually needs.
Usually not. Bonding needs very little preparation of the natural tooth, so anaesthetic is often unnecessary — for many patients there's no needle at all. If your tooth is sensitive, we can numb the area first. And if dental visits make you nervous, tell us when you book — calm, unhurried appointments are what we do.
Around 30 to 60 minutes per tooth. A single chipped corner sits at the quicker end; a larger repair, or several teeth, takes proportionally longer. We'll tell you what your tooth needs — and how long to set aside — before we book the appointment.
Often, yes — closing gaps is one of the things bonding does well, along with mending chips and cracks, covering discolouration and reshaping teeth. Whether it suits your gap depends on its size and how your teeth meet, so we'll examine first and give you an honest answer before anything begins.
Much like a natural one: brush twice a day, floss, and keep up your regular check-ups so we can keep an eye on the bonding. Sensible habits help too — bonded edges don't love opening packets, chewing pens or crunching ice. One thing worth knowing: if you're considering teeth whitening, talk to us first, because bleaching lightens natural teeth but not the bonded material — the order you do things in matters.
It depends on the size of the repair and the number of teeth, so we don't publish a single price. Bonding is one of the more affordable cosmetic treatments — often the answer when a crown isn't an option — and you'll always get a quote in writing before any treatment begins. We'll always talk cost before we treat. If you have health fund cover, call (03) 9560 2702 and we'll help check it before you come in.
“We'll always tell you when treatment isn't needed.”
Dr Michael Sawaya
Dr Barry Kave
