DENTAL BONDING can be used to improve the appearance of teeth or to restore decayed teeth. A composite plastic resin is applied to the teeth.

The dentist removes the shine of the tooth's enamel using phosphoric acid so that the composite resin will adhere to the tooth. Then she applies the resin to the tooth and exposes it to a high intensity light which hardens the resin and seals up the "roughed up" enamel. After bonding the resin to the tooth, the dentist polishes and contours the tooth.