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Cosmetic Dentistry / Composite Bonding

Composite Bonding, Broughty Ferry

Bonding That Nobody Can Spot

Q: Where can I have composite bonding in Broughty Ferry?

At Ferry Smile Studios on 196 Brook Street, where Dr Nikhil Sharma provides composite bonding from £395 per tooth, or £1,550 for a package of four teeth that includes whitening. There's no fee for the consultation, just a £40 deposit returned within 7 days once you've attended. On bigger cases you'll be shown a digital design of the finished result before any composite is placed. Patients come to us from Dundee, Monifieth, Carnoustie and Arbroath as well as from the Ferry; the details are on our composite bonding page.

Q: What's included in a composite bonding package?

Each package starts with Boutique home whitening, followed by the bonding itself, a review appointment and a final polish. The whitening goes first so that the composite can be matched to your newly brightened shade; purchased separately it would cost £350. Dr Sharma sculpts and shapes the composite by hand, and larger cases come with a digital smile design too. If you strip the whitening out of the four-tooth price (£1,550), the bonding on its own works out at £300 per tooth; our guide to bonding packages sets them side by side.

Q: Does composite bonding hurt?

Rarely, and the majority of patients get through it without a numbing injection, because the composite is added onto the tooth rather than the tooth being drilled. What you'll be aware of is some polishing, a mild gel on the surface, and the dentist building up and smoothing the material. Where a single tooth needs slight reshaping beforehand, that one tooth alone can be numbed. Eating normally straight afterwards is fine, although going easy on strong tea and coffee for the first couple of days is sensible.

Q: Does composite bonding damage your natural teeth?

No. For most people the teeth underneath are left essentially untouched, since composite is built up on the surface instead of the tooth being drilled away. Occasionally a very small amount of enamel is smoothed to disguise the join between tooth and composite and to improve the strength of the bond. A gel is used to prepare the surface so the composite holds fast, which is why removing bonding later on involves careful polishing rather than simply lifting it off. At your consultation Dr Sharma will say whether any reshaping of your teeth is planned.

Q: How long does composite bonding last?

Three to five years is typical before bonding wants refreshing, and with good care it often goes beyond that. Because composite is softer than enamel, its edges gradually wear and the surface can pick up colour from tea, coffee, curry, red wine or smoking. Polishing it back to its best is part of your hygiene appointments, and a small chip can generally be repaired in a quick visit without starting the tooth from scratch. Chewing pens or fingernails, or using your teeth to tear open packaging, will cut its lifespan.

Q: Who isn't suitable for composite bonding?

Bonding isn't for everyone. It needs healthy teeth and gums as a foundation, so any decay or gum disease has to be dealt with first. People who grind heavily tend to chip composite, so for them a night guard, or porcelain instead, may make more sense. Teeth that are very crooked usually look better once straightened, while very dark teeth may call for whitening first, or porcelain, to cover the colour. Should bonding not be the right choice for you, we'll tell you clearly at your consultation.

Q: Can composite bonding be removed or replaced?

Yes. Bonding can be polished off or redone, and since little if any enamel was removed to begin with, the tooth beneath is left much as it was before. Old or discoloured bonding done elsewhere can be replaced too, frequently in one appointment. Parting composite from enamel calls for a careful hand, so it's strictly a job for the dentist and never something to attempt yourself. If you'd like it removed altogether, we polish the teeth back to their natural surface.

Q: What is composite bonding used for?

Bonding mends chipped edges, closes small spaces, levels out teeth that are worn or uneven, and improves both shape and colour. Your dentist builds up tooth-coloured composite on the tooth in layers, sculpts it by hand, hardens it with a light and polishes it, frequently all in one appointment. When it's applied across the front surfaces of several teeth, the result is composite veneers, which can transform an entire smile. What bonding can't do is straighten crooked teeth; if crowding is the problem, Invisalign first and bonding afterwards generally gives a better outcome.

Q: What are the benefits and drawbacks of composite bonding?

The main points in bonding's favour are that it removes little or no enamel, it's typically complete in one or two appointments, and it's cheaper than porcelain. It can also be repaired, meaning a chip gets patched instead of the whole tooth being redone. Against that, composite picks up stains more readily than porcelain and wears along the edges, so it usually wants refreshing after three to five years. Heavy grinders tend to chip it, and a night guard is often needed to protect their work.

Q: Is composite bonding available on the NHS?

Not when the reason is cosmetic: improving the shape or colour of healthy teeth with composite is private treatment. Where there's a clinical need, the NHS will fix a front tooth that's chipped, broken or decayed using a tooth-coloured filling. The boundary between repair and cosmetic improvement isn't always clear-cut, so raise it at your examination and we'll explain which applies to your tooth. The NHS board for this area is NHS Tayside.

Composite bonding on Brook Street costs £395 per tooth, or £1,550 for a four-tooth package with home whitening thrown in. Tooth-coloured composite is added to front teeth that are chipped, worn or gappy, and in nearly every case your enamel stays exactly as it is.

Book your free bonding consultation WhatsApp a photoThere's no charge for the consultation; your £40 deposit is refunded within 7 days of the visit.

Your cosmetic dentistDr Nikhil Sharma BDS (Glasgow)Principal dentist at Ferry Smile Studios, with a special interest in dental implants, All-on-4 full-arch treatment, Invisalign and composite bonding. GDC 264325.Meet Dr Sharma ›

Package Fees, Fixed

Packages and Prices for Bonding

Pick the number of teeth. Home whitening opens every package, and each tooth is sculpted alongside the ones next to it so the finished set looks like a single smile. ¹

4 teeth

£1,550

The Front Four

The two central incisors and the two beside them. Right for a chip or a small gap in the middle.

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6 teeth

£2,350

The Front Six

Brings in the canines, so everything visible when you talk is in keeping.

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8 teeth

£3,150

The Front Eight

Extends to the first premolars, filling the corners of a broader smile.

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10 teeth

£3,950

All Ten

Every upper tooth on show in a big grin, designed and finished as a single set.

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Teeth	How far it goes	Fee
1	A single chipped corner, worn edge or small gap	£395
4	Upper central and lateral incisors	£1,550
6	Incisors and both canines	£2,350
8	As far back as the first premolars	£3,150
10	To the second premolars, for the widest smiles	£3,950

With every packageHome whitening in custom trays, worth £350Composite built up by hand by Dr SharmaDigital design and a trial smile on bigger casesA review of your bite and the finishFinal polish

Take the whitening out of the equation and the bonding alone works out at £300 per tooth across four teeth, dropping to £360 across ten. Composite veneers are charged at the same rate per tooth. The price is fixed in your written plan before anything begins. Fees checked October 2026.

What the Extra Cost Buys

Around Dundee and Angus you'll see bonding advertised at anywhere from under £100 to about £300 per tooth. We charge £395, so you're entitled to ask where the difference goes.

A cheaper fee may buy one shade of composite in one visit, with no whitening first and no review afterwards. For a single small chip, that's often perfectly reasonable. Over a whole row of front teeth, one shade tends to look flat, and with no review a high spot in the bite can be missed.

Gathering quotes? Ask every practice how many shades they build up, whether whitening comes with it, whether you'll see the shape before it's bonded, and whether a review is part of the deal. This is what's included here.

Built up by hand. Distinct dentine, body and enamel shades, layered and shaped one tooth at a time. It takes more chair time, and it's where the depth in the result comes from.

Designed and trialled. For bigger cases, a digital smile design and a try-in of the new shape on your own teeth before any composite is bonded.

Whitened beforehand. Custom trays and gel, worth £350 by themselves. The composite shade is then chosen against your brighter teeth.

Reviewed and polished. A follow-up to check the way your teeth meet and finish the surface, with further polishing at your regular hygiene appointments.

A fee that doesn't move. What's written in your plan is what you pay. Nothing gets added once treatment is under way.

Bonding Cases, Before and After

See all ten in the gallery

Slide the handle over each photo. Together they cover the spread of what bonding does: edges rebuilt, gaps closed, discoloured teeth masked and worn-out composite renewed.

After: edge bonding with a natural finish

BeforeAfter

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Edges rebuilt, with a finish that looks like enamel.

After: spaces between the front teeth closed in composite

BeforeAfter

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Gaps between the front teeth closed with composite.

After: darker teeth disguised with composite

BeforeAfter

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Discoloured teeth masked.

After: tooth proportions rebalanced, spaces closed and white and dark marks hidden with bonding

BeforeAfter

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Spaces closed, proportions corrected, and white and dark patches concealed.

After: composite veneers with a natural look

BeforeAfter

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Composite veneers that pass for real teeth.

After: old, failing composite veneers removed and redone

BeforeAfter

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Worn-out composite veneers removed and replaced.

Every patient gave written permission for their photographs to appear. None has been retouched, and how your own teeth respond will be individual to you. ²

The Point of Layering

A real front tooth is never a single shade. It's warmer towards the gum, more translucent along the biting edge, and its surface carries tiny ridges that catch the light. One blob of composite can't reproduce any of that.

Instead, every tooth is built up in several fine layers: a warmer dentine shade at the base, a body shade over that, and a translucent enamel shade to finish. The edges, corners and surface texture are shaped last, to fit your face rather than follow a formula.

In most cases your enamel is left completely alone. Now and then, a light surface polish lets the composite blend in and grip more securely. If that applies to you, we'll explain the reason first.

Labelled drawing of an upper front tooth showing deep dentine, body and translucent enamel, the clear biting edge and halo, line angles, surface texture, reflection and the warmer zone near the gum

Shade Before Shape

Once made, composite never changes colour. Whitening gel lightens enamel but has no effect on bonding, so whiten afterwards and the bonded teeth are left looking darker.

For that reason every package begins with two to three weeks of whitening at home in trays made for you. When your new shade has settled, the composite is matched to it.

The chart runs from bleach shades at the left end through to a natural A3 at the right. Some people want brilliant white; others prefer something that suits their age. We'll hold both against your teeth so you can see.

Consultation to Final Polish

Expect roughly a month between your consultation and the last polish, with most of that time spent whitening at home.

That works well if you're coming from Arbroath, Forfar or over the bridge from Tayport. Because the whitening happens at home, the whole course means just a handful of trips to Brook Street.

Consultation

Photographs, a look at your gums and bite, and an honest view on whether bonding can deliver what you have in mind. It's free, with a £40 deposit refunded within 7 days of attending.

Home Whitening

Trays made to fit your teeth, worn over two to three weeks. If you're already content with your shade, the composite is matched to your teeth as they are.

The Bonding Visit

Edge bonding usually takes a single appointment. Composite veneers over several teeth may need two. Every tooth is layered, shaped and polished in turn.

Review

We look at how your teeth come together, smooth any spot that catches, and give the surface its finishing shine.

Two Kinds of Bonding

Edge Bonding

Composite applied to one part of a tooth: a corner, a biting edge or the side next to a gap.

Good for: Chipped corners, uneven or short edges, small gaps
Visits: Usually just one
Fee: £395 per tooth

Composite Veneers

A full layer across the whole visible face of each tooth.

Good for: Altering shape and colour over several teeth together
Visits: One, occasionally two*
Fee: £395 per tooth, or packages from £1,550

*Larger cases can start with a digital smile design, so the shape is agreed before a single layer of composite is placed.

A fine brush shaping a layer of composite on an upper front tooth, with the teeth isolated and dry — **Layering, mid-treatment.** A fine brush shapes each layer while the teeth are kept isolated, since composite only bonds properly to a dry tooth.

Your Choices: Composite or Porcelain

Bonding is faster, costs less and is gentler on enamel. Porcelain lasts longer and resists stain. The trade-offs are set out side by side.

Feature	Composite bonding	Porcelain veneers
Enamel removed	Normally none; occasionally a light polish of the surface	A thin layer, which is permanent
Visits	One or two	Three, beginning with a trial smile
Lifespan	Usually three to five years before it needs refreshing	Commonly ten to fifteen years, and sometimes more
Staining	Loses lustre gradually; a polish restores it	Highly resistant
Chips	Generally repaired in a short appointment	Generally replaced
Fee	£395 per tooth; four teeth with whitening £1,550	£695 per tooth and up

Bonding Makes Sense When

Your teeth are sound and the issue is chips, wear or small spaces

You want it finished in one or two visits, with no drilling

Keeping your natural enamel intact is important to you

Your teeth are reasonably straight already, or you've just completed Invisalign

You're happy with an occasional polish and a refresh every few years

We'd Suggest Something Else When

You want a big change to every tooth, in shape as well as colour: porcelain veneers will stand up to it better

Your teeth are crowded or stick out: straightening with Invisalign first means much less composite, and sometimes none at all

You grind or clench heavily: bonding can chip, so we'd discuss a night guard or porcelain instead

You have decay or gum disease: that's treated first, since bonding needs a healthy foundation

Still undecided? Our guide to bonding, whitening or veneers works through each option in turn.

Day to Day with Bonding

Three to five yearsis the usual gap before a refresh, and careful owners frequently get more

Polishedduring routine hygiene appointments, which restores the gloss

Repairablea chipped corner is usually mended in a single short visit

Conservativenothing is normally drilled away, and we go through your particular case first

Composite picks up stain more easily than porcelain does. Tea, coffee, red wine, spices and cigarettes all accelerate it, and rinsing with water afterwards helps. Avoid biting ice, pens or your nails with bonded edges.

Should a corner chip, WhatsApp us a photo and we'll book you in to repair it.

Your Bonding Questions

Cost, what's in a package, whether it's painful, and when bonding isn't the right choice.

What does composite bonding cost in Broughty Ferry?–

In Broughty Ferry, composite bonding costs £395 for one tooth. A package of four teeth starts from £1,550 and comes with home whitening, a review appointment and a final polish. ¹ Beyond that, six teeth are £2,350, eight are £3,150 and ten are £3,950. If you're comparing prices between practices, check whether the quote includes whitening, a review and polishing, since many headline per-tooth figures leave those out.

Where can I have composite bonding in Broughty Ferry?+

What's included in a composite bonding package?+

Does composite bonding hurt?+

Does composite bonding damage your natural teeth?+

How long does composite bonding last?+

Who isn't suitable for composite bonding?+

Can I have composite bonding after Invisalign?+

Can composite bonding be whitened afterwards?+

Can composite bonding be removed or replaced?+

What is composite bonding used for?+

What are the benefits and drawbacks of composite bonding?+

Is composite bonding available on the NHS?+

Porcelain or composite veneers: which is better?+

Guides

Composite Bonding Guides

All composite bonding guides

Composite bonding · 9 minute read

Composite bonding in Broughty Ferry: what it costs, how it's done, where it stops

Composite bonding · 6 minute read

Choosing a bonding package: four, six, eight or ten teeth?

Composite bonding · 6 minute read

How to keep composite bonding looking its best

General dentistry · 6 minute read

Teeth grinding and clenching: how to protect your teeth

An Opinion From a Single Photo

Find a window, give a natural smile and send us the picture on WhatsApp. One of our dentists will reply with what bonding could realistically achieve and a likely range of cost.

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