Episode 21: The Art And Science Of Dental Bonding

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(0:04 – 0:42)

Welcome to “Save Your Money, Save Your Teeth,” the go-to podcast here on eRadio, where curiosity meets dentistry straight from the experts. I’m Eon, and I’m joined, as always, every week by Dr. Clifford Yudelman. We take a nice deep dive into the world of dental care from a consumer’s perspective, and if you’re looking to brighten your smile or protect your wallet, we have got you covered with practical advice and the latest insights.

So stick around as we uncover the secrets to maintaining both your dental health and also your finances. A warm welcome to you once again Dr Yudelman.

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(0:42 – 0:48)

Hi, thanks. Thanks for having me back, and looking forward to chatting with you today.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(0:48 – 0:59)

So today, we talk about the art and science of dental bonding, a cost-effective solution. What exactly is dental bonding, and how does it work?

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(0:59 – 2:00)

So dental bonding is basically one of these cosmetic procedures that can improve the appearance of your teeth. We use composite resin, which is something that’s soft, it’s like a paste or a putty or in some cases, it’s injectable like a liquid, and it matches your natural tooth colour, and we basically put it on your teeth, and we shape it, and we harden it with a special light, and we use it to repair to fix chipped or cracked or discoloured teeth. In many cases, it’s a case where it’s where someone’s had a cavity or a filling, and we’re removing an old filling, and we’re replacing it with a white or a composite filling, and it’s sort of interchangeable bonding and composite bonding, and composite fillings are similar.

In this case, you’re only doing one or two surfaces on a tooth. You’re not doing it to six or eight or ten teeth because that’s when we start talking about veneers or composite injection moulding.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(2:01 – 2:06)

And then, what are the main advantages of dental bonding compared to other cosmetic procedures?

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(2:07 – 2:49)

Well, it’s quicker, and it’s obviously less expensive because you’re only doing one or two teeth or just taking care of the problem, the chip or the little gap that needs to be closed up. It’s typically completed in one visit. There’s little to no tooth removal required, and we can address various cosmetic issues at OptiSmile, we find that it’s accessible and it’s an efficient dental solution.

Whenever we can do bonding or what we sometimes now these days because we’ve got this injection moulded bonding, we call this other bonding freehand bonding where we just use our skills.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(2:49 – 2:55)

Now, doctor, please walk us through the dental bonding procedure at OptiSmile.

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(2:55 – 3:59)

Yeah, so after we check the tooth, in some cases where we’re taking out an old filling or the tooth is sensitive, we might numb it first. We use a special machine called a wand that performs anaesthetics very carefully and slowly. Patients generally don’t feel anything when they are numb in the front.

That can be a very sensitive area. We check the colour of the tooth with a shade guide and then also sometimes put a little bit of the bonding on the tooth and cure it just to check that it will match. Then we etch the tooth.

We use a blue gel, which we then rinse off, and we put the bond on the tooth. Once we’ve rinsed it, we dry it, we put the bond on the tooth, we thin it out with air, and we shine a light on it, and then we start applying the bonding, and we shape it with different instruments or with a brush, and when we get it to the right shape, we harden it, and sometimes we build it up in multiple layers and then afterwards we use discs and other types of polishers to polish the bonded tooth for a natural look.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(3:59 – 4:04)

So, how do I know whether I’m an ideal candidate for dental bonding doctor?

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(4:05 – 5:06)

If you’ve got small chips or cracks, if the bottom teeth are worn down slightly, and the tops of the teeth are looking a bit dated, chipping or discoloured, that’s a good place to have freehand dental bonding. If you’ve got a small space between teeth, that’s good for doing with freehand dental bonding. As soon as it’s anything more extensive, we much prefer to use moulds because then it’s all designed on a computer, and we’ll talk about injection moulding in another episode.

It’s good for slightly altering the shape or the length of the teeth, and it’s ideal for you to know if you want immediate results. Our philosophy at OptiSmile is always to do a personalised assessment to determine your suitability. You can’t just come in and say I want bonding and then we do it. You know, we make sure that it is something that’s that’s suitable for you and your situation.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(5:07 – 5:11)

What kind of results can patients expect from dental bonding?

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(5:12 – 5:45)

So, aesthetic improvement. You get an enhanced appearance of the teeth. It’s a natural look.

The resin matches the natural tooth colour. You get a immediate improvement right after we’re done. It looks much better and it can last several years with proper care.

It doesn’t last as long as veneers or injection moulding. It lasts several years with proper care. It doesn’t last as long as injection moulded composite bonding and we always try and get a beautiful and a natural looking result at the end.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(5:46 – 5:50)

Any downsides or limitations to dental bonding?

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(5:50 – 7:10)

Yeah, so the composite resin can stain over time, and there are joins on the teeth, unlike a veneer that covers the whole tooth or, in many cases with injection moulding, it covers over most of the tooth, and it thins out. There are no real joins with them. It may need touch-ups or replacements every few years, and it’s not as strong as your own natural tooth or a porcelain veneer. The dentist should always be transparent about the pros and cons so you can make informed decisions.

We do sometimes see patients. I had a patient who moved down from Joburg, and he had had a whole lot of teeth bonded freehand bonding. Some of the teeth were fine, and for others, there was what’s called an overhang that was covering up his gum, and it was collecting a lot of plaque, and his gums were bleeding, and it takes quite a lot of work to get those teeth back to how they should be. In most of those cases, we’ve got to go and remove all of that and then whiten the teeth and sort of start at the beginning, and the patient will have to go through a period of a week to two weeks while we get all of that off and then scan and do them properly.

So I don’t recommend these days getting a whole bunch of teeth done freehand because there are much better techniques now.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(7:11 – 7:17)

Doctor, how long does dental bonding typically last, and what factors affect its longevity?

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(7:18 – 8:05)

So you’ve got to avoid biting very hard objects like the lockdown sourdough bread that everyone was making during lockdown and very crunchy baguettes or very crispy ones. People sometimes put a chocolate bar in the fridge, and then they take it out and bite into it. You’ve got to be careful when you’re eating a peach, for instance, that you don’t bite into a pip by mistake. They can last about three to five years before they need a touch-up or replacement, and you need regular dental visits, good oral hygiene, and the avoidance of things that will generally stain the teeth, like smoking and coffee. We always like to educate patients on how to care for them so that they get lasting results.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(8:06 – 8:13)

Doctor, can you share any success stories or patient testimonials related to dental bonding at OptiSmile with us?

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(8:13 – 9:16)

Yeah, so it’s fantastic to get patients to come in, and they got a lot of concern about something that’s relatively minor and to be able to to do something like composite bonding and improve someone’s smile so quickly and easily and in many cases inexpensively is very satisfying and many of these patients will go to Google and give us a five-star review and some have written very long reviews and every so often a patient will even post their own before and after picture. Like I’ve said before, I don’t like to post before and after pictures. I don’t want to ask patients to show what their teeth looked like when they were ugly, but many of them have agreed to let me show their pictures to patients directly on a one-on-one basis so we always show patients what to expect.

We’ve got lots of success stories and testimonials to share with patients when they come in or when we do a video consultation.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(9:17 – 9:24)

And then, finally, Doctor, what would you say makes OptiSmile’s approach to dental bonding unique?

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(9:25 – 10:39)

We will almost always try to do injection moulded composite bonding when it’s called for. As I mentioned, we don’t like to do freehand bonding, so we’re going to discuss injection moulded bonding in another podcast very soon, where we use digital scans to design moulds. We’ve got skilled dentists that have got extensive experience in these treatments.

We personalise your treatment plan to your own situation, and the composite materials these days are amazing. We got a new material about three and a half years ago, and we still use it today, and we’ve seen patients coming back three, four years later with amazing results where there’s no staining on the newer materials and very few cases of clipping unless people do like what I mentioned before, maybe nail biting is not good, or if you’re a heavy Bruxa, you’ve got to make sure that you use a mouth guard or a night guard. Being committed to excellence in patient satisfaction, we always get very nice results and happy patients.

So I’m very thankful for that.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(10:39 – 10:50)

And that’s it for another episode of Save Your Money, Save Your Teeth. Dr. Udelman, thank you once again for your time and for sharing all that insightful information with us.

Dr Clifford Yudelman OptiSmile(10:51 – 11:20)

No, it’s a pleasure, and next week, we’re going to talk about injection moulded composite veneers or injection moulded composite bonding because I have mentioned it quite a bit today and last week. So we’re going to do a special episode on that, and then we’ll probably do one more episode about how to make your bonding and veneers last longer just to wrap up the series.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA(11:20 – 11:51)

Yeah, excellent. Also, big thanks to our listeners for tuning in and remember while we strive to provide valuable insights, always consult with your own dental professional for advice tailored to your personal health and also don’t forget to subscribe for more enlightening discussions and then join us again next week. Same time, same place as we continue to explore the fascinating intersection of dental health and financial savvy.

But until then, keep smiling and taking great care of your teeth.

Eon Engelbrecht ERadio SA (11:55 – 12:39)

Discover the world of dental excellence with OptiSmile. Join us for a weekly podcast featuring Dr. Clifford Yudelman, a seasoned expert with 40 years of dental experience across four continents. Gain unique insights and expert dental advice by visiting OptiSmile.co.za for articles that illuminate the path to optimal oral health. If you’re seeking unparalleled dental care in Cape Town, get in touch with OptiSmile or book directly online at OptiSmile.co.za. OptiSmile, where global expertise meets local care.