Treatments
Composite Bonding
Chips, gaps and worn edges repaired in a single visit — usually without removing any healthy tooth, and often without an injection.
A quick, affordable way to improve your smile
Composite bonding offers a natural-looking way to repair damaged or discoloured teeth. It can close gaps, lengthen teeth, and protect part of a root that has been exposed by gum recession.
It’s quick and cost-effective because nothing has to be manufactured in a laboratory — the resin is shaped in your mouth and set hard on the spot, so it’s usually finished in a single visit.
Our dentists include clinicians with a particular interest in composite bonding, and you can see their GDC registration numbers on the team page.
Featured treatments
What composite bonding can do
What it can fix
Composite bonding is tooth-coloured resin, shaped onto the tooth by hand and set hard with a curing light. Because it’s built up directly in the mouth, it can be shaped to solve several problems at once:
- Chipped or broken edges rebuilt to their original shape
- Gaps between teeth closed without braces
- Short or uneven teeth lengthened and levelled
- Discoloured teeth masked where whitening alone won’t reach
- Exposed root surfaces covered where the gum has receded
What happens on the day
Most cases are done in one appointment.
We choose a composite shade to match your teeth, then lightly roughen the surface and apply a conditioning liquid so the resin grips properly. The composite is then layered on, shaped to the contour we’ve agreed, and hardened with a curing light. Finally it’s trimmed, smoothed and polished until it reflects light like natural enamel.
There’s usually no need to remove any healthy tooth, and anaesthetic is often unnecessary unless we’re also filling a cavity.
A single tooth takes around 30 minutes to an hour. More than one will take longer, and we’ll tell you what to expect before you book.
How long it lasts, and how to look after it
Bonding typically lasts several years before it needs refreshing or replacing. How long depends less on the material than on how it’s treated.
Composite can stain over time, so it responds to the same things that stain natural teeth — coffee, red wine, tobacco. It can also chip if used to bite nails, open packaging or crunch ice. Keeping up with hygienist appointments protects both the bonding and the tooth beneath.
If you grind your teeth, a nightguard is worth discussing — grinding is the most common reason bonding fails early.
What it costs
Composite bonding starts at £366. The final figure depends on how many teeth are treated and how much rebuilding each one needs, and you’ll always have a written quote before anything starts. See the full fee guide.
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