Guide · Composite bonding
How much does composite bonding cost in Edinburgh?
Short answer: at City Dental Care, edge bonding is from £175 per tooth and full composite bonding from £350 per tooth. The longer answer explains what moves the price, how it compares with veneers, and what a quote should include so you can judge any you’re given.
Edge bonding vs full bonding — the price difference explained
- Edge bonding (from £175 per tooth) repairs and reshapes the biting edge — a chipped corner, uneven lengths, a small gap. The rest of the tooth is left untouched, so it’s quicker and uses less material.
- Full composite bonding (from £350 per tooth) covers the whole front surface of the tooth to change its shape, colour and proportions. It’s a layered, sculpted piece of work per tooth — which is where the time, and the price, goes.
What decides the total
- How many teeth. One chipped tooth is one price; an even result across the six upper front teeth is six. Bundle pricing may reduce the per-tooth cost when several are done together.
- How much each tooth needs. Edge or full — the consultation decides tooth by tooth.
- What comes first. Whitening before bonding (£350) if you want a brighter shade, since the resin is matched to your teeth and doesn’t whiten afterwards; alignment first with Invisalign if the teeth are crowded, because bonding can’t straighten them.
- Who’s doing it. Bonding is hand-sculpted, and the result depends on the clinician — which is why we show real, consented cases rather than stock photographs.
Bonding vs veneers
| Composite bonding | Porcelain veneers | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per tooth | from £175 (edge) / £350 (full) | from £650 |
| Tooth preparation | Little or none — added to the tooth | Usually a thin layer of enamel removed — permanent |
| Visits | Usually one | Two or more (made by a ceramist) |
| Lifespan | Several years; can stain or chip; easy to repair | Commonly 10+ years; resists staining |
| Usually suits | Chips, small gaps, edges, modest reshaping | Heavily worn or discoloured teeth, bigger changes |
Weighing up veneers instead? Our porcelain veneers cost guide covers the veneer side in the same detail, including why preparing a tooth for a veneer is permanent.
What a quote should include
- Which teeth, and whether each is edge or full bonding
- Whether whitening or alignment is recommended first, and its cost
- The total, in writing, before anything is done — and whether finance is available (ours: 0% from £250)
- What happens if a piece chips — repair should be straightforward and priced sensibly
Want to know what bonding would cost for your teeth?
A free consultation at 9 Earl Grey Street — what’s achievable, whether bonding or another option suits you better, and the price in writing. We take a deposit when you book, under our Failure to Attend policy, and it is refunded when you attend; we confirm the amount when you book. A free consultation is an initial consultation, not a full dental examination. If you need or want a full examination, it is charged at our published private fee: £85 for new patients and £55 for existing patients, x-rays included. NHS examinations are free for NHS patients of the practice. Evenings until 8pm, Monday to Thursday (we close at 5pm on Friday).
