Bonding

Dental or cosmetic bonding is the use of white, tooth-colored composite filling material to fill, repair, or to make minor aesthetic changes to teeth. White, tooth-colored fillings have been the restoration of choice for many years, especially as an alternative to placing or replacing mercury (silver/amalgam) fillings.

Limitations of the bonding material exist when the cavity or old filling is large, if the tooth to be restored has cracks or fractures, or if there are heavy chewing forces on the tooth to be restored. In such cases, porcelain fillings may be a better option.