Show us what you’d like to fix
Bring the chip, the gap or the edge that’s been bothering you. We’ll tell you whether bonding is the right fix and walk you through your options and the cost before you decide. You’re only offered what you need.
A chip, a gap or an uneven edge, shaped by hand so the tooth looks like yours again, usually in a single visit.
Dental bonding in Lincoln Park
A corner of a front tooth lost to a fork or a glass. A small gap you’ve never liked, one tooth a little shorter than the next, an edge worn thin. Each is small, but it sits in the middle of your smile, and you notice it every time you see a photo. Dental bonding fixes most of them in a single visit, with little or none of your tooth removed.
At Pearl Aesthetics & Dentistry, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, we take as much care over one chipped tooth as over a whole smile. We shape bonding by hand and match it to the shade of the teeth around it, so nobody can tell which tooth was fixed.
“We believe every detail matters, and we only deliver work that looks beautiful and natural.”
Shaped by hand to match your teeth
Bonding is usually done in one visit, often in under an hour for a tooth or two. Most of that time goes into matching the shade and shaping the resin, so the repair blends in.
- 01
Choosing the shade
We match the resin to your tooth at the start, before it dries out, because a dry tooth looks lighter and the match would be off once it settles.
- 02
Preparing the surface
The tooth is lightly roughened and conditioned so the resin can grip. Most bonding needs no numbing, and little or none of the tooth is removed.
- 03
Shaping by hand
Tooth-colored resin goes on in thin layers and is sculpted into shape, with a more translucent layer at the edge, as on a natural tooth, so it looks like tooth, not a patch.
- 04
Setting it
A blue curing light hardens each layer in seconds.
- 05
Polishing
We refine the shape, check your bite and polish the resin to the same shine as the teeth beside it, so light catches it the same way.
“What really sets my practice apart is that we approach dentistry like an art form.”
What can dental bonding fix?
Small things in visible places: a chipped or cracked edge, a small gap between front teeth, a tooth that’s shorter or narrower than its neighbor, a spot of discoloration, or a worn edge. It can also cover root surfaces exposed by gum recession, which often eases sensitivity.
Bonding is less suited to big changes in color or shape across many teeth, or to back teeth that take heavy chewing. For those, veneers, crowns or whitening usually do better. We’ll tell you which, and when bonding is enough, that’s all we’ll suggest.
Does tooth bonding hurt?
Usually not. Most bonding adds to the tooth rather than removing from it, so there’s nothing to feel beyond a little pressure. If a chip is deep or close to the nerve, the tooth may need numbing, and we’ll tell you before we start, never halfway through.
When bonding is all you need
Bonding suits one or two small fixes, and veneers a larger change. Bonding is done in one visit, costs less and needs little or none of the tooth removed, so it’s a good place to start and easy to change your mind about.
Porcelain veneers take longer and usually need a thin layer of enamel shaped away, but they resist stains and last longer, and they can change the shape and color of several teeth at once. If one chip is what bothers you, you don’t need a set of veneers to fix it.
How long does dental bonding last?
Usually five to ten years, sometimes longer. Resin is softer than enamel or porcelain, so edges can chip and wear with time, especially if you bite your nails or grind.
And bonding is easy to repair. A chipped or worn edge can usually be touched up or redone in one visit, without starting over.
Bonding, stains and whitening
Bonding takes up stain more easily than enamel. Coffee, tea, red wine and smoking slowly darken resin, and it doesn’t respond to whitening. A polish at your cleanings keeps it bright, and bonding can be refreshed when it dulls.
If you’re thinking about whitening, do it first. We match the bonding to your new shade, so it doesn’t end up darker than the teeth around it.
Caring for bonded teeth
Look after bonded teeth the way you look after your own, with a little extra care where the resin meets the bite.
- Go easy on coffee, tea and red wine for the first two days, while the resin is most likely to take up stain.
- Don’t bite your nails, pens or ice with bonded teeth.
- Brush twice a day and floss once, with a non-abrasive toothpaste.
- Wear a night guard if you grind or clench.
- Keep your cleanings, so we can polish the bonding and check its edges.
Book a visit
Meet Dr. Colby
Dr. Colby James Gerth, DMD, earned his Doctorate in Dental Medicine at Midwestern University and has practiced in Chicago since 2020. He opened Pearl in Lincoln Park in 2025, a practice focused on cosmetic dentistry, where even a small repair is done with how your smile looks in mind.
Common questions
Can dental bonding fix a chipped tooth?
Yes. A chipped front tooth is the most common reason for bonding. The missing corner or edge is rebuilt in resin matched to your tooth, usually in one visit.
Can bonding close a gap between my front teeth?
Usually, if the gap is small. Resin is added to the sides of the teeth to close it. Larger gaps may look better closed with Invisalign, or a mix of both, so the teeth don’t end up looking too wide.
Is dental bonding permanent?
It’s reversible in most cases, because little or none of the tooth is removed. Bonding usually lasts five to ten years, then it’s touched up or redone in a visit.
Can you whiten bonded teeth?
Your natural teeth whiten, but the bonding won’t. If you want whiter teeth, whiten first and have the bonding matched to the new shade.
Does insurance cover dental bonding?
Sometimes. When bonding repairs a chipped or broken tooth, many plans cover part of it; when it’s purely cosmetic, they usually don’t. Contact us and we’ll help you understand what your plan may cover.
Can I eat after tooth bonding?
Yes, right away. The resin is fully hardened before you leave. Go easy on dark drinks for a day or two.
Is bonding the same as a tooth-colored filling?
They use the same kind of resin. A filling repairs a cavity inside the tooth; bonding is shaped onto the outside to change how the tooth looks.
Something else on your mind? Call (312) 858-7067 or see all our questions and answers.
Related care
All treatments- Porcelain veneersPorcelain veneers that look like your own teeth, designed around your face, and you see your new smile before we begin.
- Teeth whiteningWhiter teeth that still look like yours, at a shade chosen for your face, with Philips Zoom, Opalescence or Colgate Optic White.
- FillingsFillings shaded and shaped to match your own tooth, so the repair blends in, even on a tooth no one else will see.
Come in about that chip
Book online or call us. Most bonding is done in a single visit, and you’ll know it’s the right fix before we begin.