Dental bonding, also known as teeth bonding, can improve your smile in many ways. But as with other dental procedures, you may have questions about how much dental bonding could cost you.
Here’s some information on the types of dental bonding, how much it costs and more.
Dental bonding is very similar to getting a dental filling. The dentist applies a tooth-colored material to your tooth and molds it into shape. Dental bonding can help fix many dental issues such as:
- Chipped teeth
- Tooth fracture
- Tooth decay
- Diastema (gap between teeth)
- Discoloration
Types of dental bonding
There are 2 main types of dental bonding procedures: direct and indirect.
- Direct bonding—During this procedure, the dentist will clean your tooth and use an etching solution to roughen its exterior. Roughening a tooth helps the resin stick better. The dentist will then apply resin to the affected area, mold it into shape and then cure it with UV light to harden it. The tooth is polished to complete the treatment.
- Indirect bonding—Indirect dental bonding uses the same resin and UV light process, but the application is different. First, a dentist takes an X-ray of your mouth and makes a mold of the tooth. Next, a resin inlay is made in a lab. The inlay is then cemented to the tooth and polished to complete the treatment.
Insurance coverage may depend on why you’re getting dental bonding. If your procedure is medically necessary and recommended by a dentist, your insurance may cover some of the expenses. If you’re doing it for cosmetic reasons, you’ll likely pay all costs out-of-pocket.
If you’re paying for dental bonding out-of-pocket, the cost can range from $100–$500 per tooth.1 The price can vary for many reasons, including:
- Amount of damage to the tooth
- Where you live
- If the dentist is in-network
It’s also important to remember you may need an oral exam and professional cleaning before a dental bonding procedure. These expenses could add hundreds of dollars to the overall cost.
Veneers are thin, tooth-colored shells that are attached to the front and side surfaces of teeth. Like dental bonding, veneers can be used to help repair damaged teeth, but veneers are often used for cosmetic reasons to cover crooked, discolored or smaller-than-average teeth.
Here's a side-by-side comparison to check which procedure could be right for you:
The cost of dental bonding can be different for many reasons, but the goal is the same—to help fix teeth. Some dental insurance plans offer coverage for dental bonding, which can help you pay less out-of-pocket. To learn about dental insurance with Humana, check out our individual and family dental insurance plans.
