Cosmetic bonding involves the use of composite resin, any material that is composed of hard, pebble-like filler particles similar to sand or pebbles, surrounded by a hard matrix of a second material, which binds the filler particles together. The most commonly understood composite material outside the dental office is concrete, or cement.  It is composed of sand, sometimes mixed with pebbles, bound together by a matrix of lime, aluminum and iron.  This material can be formed into bricks, poured into molds, or used to “cement” iron rods into the ground.

In dentistry, the most common types of composites involve various types of finely ground glass powder fillers mixed into a matrix, which is usually a form of acrylic called BIS-GMA. Dental composites can be formed to create new teeth, filling in gaps, holes, or cracks of existing teeth. It generally hardens within 20 to 40 seconds with a strong light.

The great convenience of using dental composite is that the dentists can work with and shape the composite at their leisure, and then when satisfied with their efforts expose the composite to a curing light so to activate its set. Here the dentist’s skill as an artist comes into play. Often the best dentists in cosmetic bonding have an artistic background, such as a special talent for sculpting. Such dentists may have an artist’s background before turning to dentistry, and their ability to work with composite resin is practically unmatched, resulting in teeth that look like they are the work of nature.