Tooth bonding is a cosmetic procedure that involves applying a tooth-colored resin material with adhesives and high intensity curing light. Bonding is typically used to improve the appearance of a discolored or damaged tooth, but it can also be used to close gaps between teeth or change the appearance of teeth. Bonding is often used as an aesthetic alternative that protects a portion of the tooth’s root exposed by receding gums.

Dental bonding can be considered to fix the following dental issues:

• To repair decayed teeth (composite resins are used to fill cavities)
• To repair chipped or cracked teeth
• To improve the appearance of discolored teeth
• To close spaces between teeth
• To make teeth look longer
• To change the shape of teeth
• As a cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings
• To protect a portion of the tooth’s root that has been exposed when gums recede