Why Should You Attend a Composite Bonding Course?
Composite bonding is one of the most widely accepted and frequently encountered dental procedures available to UK residents. The basic principles behind it are quite simple. During the dental bonding, dentists apply an enamel coloured resin to the surface of the teeth and then harden it with the help of a UV light, so it gets permanently bonded to the surface of the patient’s teeth. Composite bonding can be useful for covering up discolouration caused by years of poor oral hygiene or smoking, it can aid in the process of repairing chipped tooth enamel, it helps with diastema and it’s also a solution for gum recession caused by gingivitis.
Unlike other dental procedures such as the application of veneers, composite bonding truly is a minimally invasive intervention, as the surface of the tooth doesn’t have to be specially prepared before the application of the resin. As long as the affected tooth doesn’t have a cavity, composite bonding can be done without anaesthesia, and the whole procedure should, in most cases, not take more than an hour (depending on the complexity of the case).
Plus, according to Health.com, composite bonding can last up to seven years with proper oral health maintenance, as it is therefore a solution comparable to the utilisation of porcelain veneers. So, investing in a composite bonding course, should be something to keep in mind for your further development as a dental practitioner.
What Are the Benefits of a Composite Course?
Let’s start with some data. In the UK, the cosmetic dentistry market, and here we can include composite bonding, is growing at an estimated rate of 4.7% per year. At the same time, at an international level, cosmetic dentistry is growing by an estimated 15% per year, with a potential industry value of almost $180 billion, by 2034. Composite bonding has become one of the most popular, affordable and safe cosmetic dentistry procedures available to UK residents, and its minimally invasive nature means that the interventions can be finalised, on average, in less than one hour.
Do you work eight-hour shifts? In that case, with porcelain veneers, in the best-case scenario, you could have maybe two patients, as the typical chair time for between and two and four teeth are around 1.5-3 hours. With composite bonding, on the other hand, the process will be much faster, as the typical chair time for one or two teeth should not take more than one hour. So, realistically, in an eight-hour shift you could treat around eight patients. But let’s turn these numbers into actual monetary value. In the UK, the application of porcelain veneers starts at around £750 per tooth. So, for the application of two veneers, on two separate patients in a day, you will probably gain somewhere around £3000.
Composite bonding, however, starts at £200, but it goes much faster. So realistically, you could profit around £1600 per day. Veneers are more profitable, yes, but they are also a more complex procedure that necessitates a bit more experience. Do you want to round up your profits, and enhance the dentistry services you provide? Then, going for a two-day composite bonding course might represent one of your best ideas.
It’s All About Mastering Your Craft
Two days might not seem like a lot of time to master the practical elements of composite bonding, but it is, however, enough to allow yourself to comfortably and confidently perform this technique in your dental practice. The composite course you take will allow you to get involved in non-invasive biometric techniques suitable for the application of composites and will give you the step-by-step instructions required to develop natural-looking resin restorations for your dental practice clients.
What will you learn in a composite bonding course? For one thing, you will receive the information required to diagnose, polish and adjust direct anterior composites and learn how to handle layered restorations. Then, during the workshop phase of the composite course, you will be present for live composite applying demonstrations and sessions presenting the application of silicon matrices.
Plus, the teachers of the course will present techniques like rounded bevel groundwork and tooth polishing. After you graduate from the course, you should benefit from the necessary confidence to handle aesthetic and functional composite bonding challenges in your dental office and you should start laying the groundwork for the next steps in your professional development.
Who Should Attend a Composite Bonding Course?
Pretty much anyone who is already involved in the dental field and benefits from the necessary qualification to practice dentistry in the UK. The majority of composite bonding courses are suitable for both dental professionals with years of experience in this field and early-career dentists who received their BDS or BChD degree less than 1.5 years ago. Are you an experienced GDP and do you want to expand your portfolio and add a new item to the treatments offered by your practice? Are you specialised in restorative dentistry but lately have you been interested in aesthetic treatments as well? If so, a composite course could be a good investment.
A two-day course could help your gain experience with hands-on, composite-based restoration techniques, is a good starting point for dentists who want to transition their specialization to cosmetic dentistry, it can help end-year dental students focus on their practical training, and it’s pretty much the best choice available if you want to obtain a higher ROI for the services you provide. Since most cost no more than £1500, courses like this pay for themselves in just a working day, as the typical price, in the UK, for a composite bonding treatment is somewhere in the neighbourhood of £200 per tooth.
Composite bonding can be a good starting point in the world of cosmetic dentistry procedures, and a course like this can act as a building block for more complex techniques such as enamel micro abrasion, direct and indirect veneers, clear aligners or porcelain crowns. From a financial standpoint, a composite course makes perfect sense, and for your professional development it can be a boost to your overall reputation.