Veneers are very thin layers of hard material, often porcelain, that are affixed to the front of your teeth, often for cosmetic purposes. They may be used to cover teeth that are broken, stained, or misshapen. Because they are made of porcelain, they are more resistant to staining than the composite material used in lansdowne dental bonding procedures. Porcelain veneers must be molded to fit your teeth in a dental laboratory and require at least two dental visits. First, you will meet with your dentist for a consultation, determining the color and shape you and your dentist want your teeth to have. At the next visit, your dentist will remove a thin layer of tooth enamel from your teeth, creating a slightly recessed bed in which your veneer will lie, creating a natural alignment to the teeth. Then, the dentist will make a mold of your teeth, using a soft putty, and will send the mold to a dental lab, where your veneers will be made. This usually takes about 2-4 weeks. When they are ready, your dentist will affix your veneers to the fronts of your teeth, using bonding cement and an ultraviolet light, which sets the cement. Finally, the dentist will clean up any excess cement and polish everything to a happy shine. Porcelain veneers, which can cost as much as $2,500 per tooth, may last as long as 15 years or longer.

In some cases, veneers, though more expensive, are preferable to bonding. If, for example, there are vertical cracks in the teeth, veneers are preferable to bonding, as these vertical cracks cannot be repaired with composite-resin bonding techniques. Porcelain veneers may also provide some protection for potentially exposed nerves, whereas bonding does not protect exposed nerves. Porcelain veneers are less susceptible to staining than composite bonded surfaces, though they may still chip, fracture, or become dislodged if treated carelessly — so don’t open any bottles with them, and try to stop chewing your nails.

Bonding uses composite resin to fill in gaps, restore broken teeth, and reshape or recolor teeth, usually in a single office visit. First, your dentist will apply a mild etching solution to the areas of the teeth that are to be bonded. This roughens the surface of the teeth, providing the composite resin a surface to adhere to. Then, the dentist will carefully apply composite resin and use dental instruments to sculpt the teeth to your liking. If the bond is on a molar, your dentist will test your bite, making sure the surfaces align properly, before setting the bonding material. If necessary, the surface will be resculpted and refined. The dentist then uses an ultraviolet light to cure and harden the bonding material and finely polishes the surface of the bonded tooth, matching it carefully to the surrounding teeth.

Bonding does not require an initial fitting and costs significantly less than porcelain veneers — usually between $300 and $600 per tooth — but can be expected to last only 5 to 10 years. Bonding is also a suitable, and often preferable, alternative to metal fillings, because the material matches the color of the other teeth, though bonding is often more costly than metal fillings, and, because the composite resin is porous, the bonded fillings may stain.

More on Dental Bonding : Fix Gaps Between Teeth With Dental Bonding