Is dental bonding right for what i'm looking for? i have some gaps between most of my four front teeth i'm looking to get taken care of. i really dislike the way veneers tend to look. even though they do usually look real i don't particularly want my teet

It : It is hard to answer you what is "best". The good thing about bonding is that it is less expensive than veneers, and somewhat reversible of you don't care for it. Bad thing is that the composite material is bonded to your teeth, and prone to fracture, de-bonding, and staining. Bonding may not last as long as veneers. On the other hand, veneers are more durable and won't change color. Your dentist will most likely need to remove some tooth structure to fabricate them so that they don't look bulky. They are therefore irreversible. Bonding and veneers can be sculpted and shaped any way you and your dentist want... They are custom made just for your mouth. Maybe the cases you have seen were not as esthetic as they could be. If you decide to go with veneers, your dentist can prep your teeth and make you temporary laminates out of the composite material. After they are shaped and contoured to your liking, models of the temps and pictures can be sent to the lab as a "blueprint" for your final restorations. This way the veneers will closely match the temps. Hope this info helps.

The : The goal of any "smile makeover" is to enhance the natural look of the smile. Some transformations require more involved restorations than others. However, if the only notable concern is the spacing between the teeth, or gaps the very best treatment may be to do some limited bonding to close the spaces. Filling those gaps with "white" will do wonders to make for a brighter, younger looking smile.

Done : Done well, free-hand bonding can have an amazing impact on improving your smile. It is a very good alternative to veneers for closing gaps/spaces between teeth while minimizing the change to the teeth themselves. Drawbacks to bonding are that it will not last as long as porcelain veneers and may stain over time. However, you should get many years of service from them. The only problem with bonding for large gaps, especially between the 2 front teeth, is that it is difficult to make the teeth look the right size without a lot of tooth contouring before the bonding. If this is the case for you, you may prefer the veneers as they would be stronger. Just tell the dentist to not make them look too perfect.

Maybe: First, you must determine why you have the gaps. Most often this can be improved with braces. Secondly, you must find out if your bite (occlusion) is stable. If not, then the treatment may fail. See your dentist, orthodontist or a prosthodontist to first address these issues. You will be glad you did. If all is stable and correct, then, bonding, veneere or crowns can address the spaces.

See examples: Ask your prosthodontist for examples of work that is much like what you need to help you decide.

Crowns Needed: Bonding and veneers both have limitations especially when it come to closing gaps. Properly constructed full crowns usually solve these limitations to give an excellent results.

Gaps: Depending on the size of the gaps and what over all result you want either option may work. Bonding has some esthetic limitations, especially if the dentist is not good at it, and is weaker. Veneers are stronger and more predictable but require a minimal amount of tooth reduction. Unless absolutely necc. Traditional full coverage crowns are over kill and destructive. See a trained cosmetic dds.

Get veneers: If you don't like the look of veneers, you most likely won't like bonding any better. The veneers can be designed to most any shade, size, shape, and do not have to be hollywood perfect. The dentist can have a wax up made of what the veneers will look like and can even put you in temporaries that mimic the final product, so you can "try out" the veneers before final cementation.

Consider Ortho : Depending on the size of your spaces, orthodontic treatment may be the most conservative and long lasting way to close the spaces and give you a great looking smile. Sometimes with just veneers or bonding, the size proportions can be off and tooth structure needs to be removed removed. Ortho eliminates or decreases tooth enamel removal. A detailed wax up is needed so see the results prior.

Impossible to advise: Over the internet. What appears to be a simple problem, is not always so simple. On the other hand, some composite tooth colored bonding might just do the trick. There is so much to consider when making these decisions- occlusion, size & position of teeth, eating habits, patient expectations, parafunctional habits, etc. Find a dentist whom you trust & discuss your options.

Best esthetics: If there is a tooth-size issue causing the gaps, or extra gum tissue between teeth, or other teeth out of position causing drifting, or bone loss due to gum disease, you may need more that veneers. Ask your dentist to refer you to an orthodontist for evaluation and collaboration to give you the most esthetic, functional, stable result. Teamwork!