3D Printed Composite Bonding vs Traditional Composite Bonding: What's the Difference?
If you've researched composite bonding, you may have noticed a newer option appearing alongside traditional freehand treatment: 3D printed composite bonding.
Both use composite resin to improve the appearance of teeth, but the way your new smile is planned and created is different.
Quick answer
Traditional composite bonding is shaped directly on your teeth by the dentist. 3D printed composite bonding uses digital scans, a pre-designed smile and a customised 3D printed template to guide the final result.
Neither is automatically better. The best approach depends on what you want to change, how many teeth are involved and the result you're hoping to achieve.
How does traditional bonding work?
Composite resin is carefully applied to the tooth and shaped by the dentist.
It's particularly useful for smaller changes such as repairing a chip, improving an uneven edge, closing a small gap or altering an individual tooth's shape.
At Saltford Dental, edge bonding starts from £255 per tooth, while composite veneers start from £375.
How does 3D printed bonding work?
Your teeth are first digitally scanned.
A new smile can then be designed digitally, creating a detailed preview of the proposed result.
A custom template is 3D printed from this design and used to guide placement of composite resin onto the teeth.
This allows multiple teeth to be designed together, with particular attention paid to proportion and symmetry.
What are the advantages?
The digital planning process makes 3D bonding particularly attractive when you're considering a broader smile transformation rather than repairing one isolated tooth.
Benefits can include:
Previewing the proposed result
Highly personalised smile design
Consistent proportions across several teeth
Minimally invasive treatment
Immediate transformation
Little to no downtime
How much is 3D composite bonding?
Saltford Dental currently offers treatment for 10 teeth for £3,750.
The most appropriate option shouldn't be chosen purely on price, however.
If only one or two teeth need subtle adjustment, traditional bonding may make more sense. If you're considering changing the overall shape and symmetry of your visible smile, digitally planned 3D bonding may offer advantages.
Which should I choose?
Start with the problem, not the treatment.
Instead of deciding "I want composite bonding", tell your dentist what you dislike about your smile and what you'd ideally like it to look like.
That allows the dentist to assess your teeth and recommend whether freehand bonding, 3D printed bonding, whitening, alignment, veneers or another approach is appropriate.
