You can eat and drink as normal straight after composite bonding. No anaesthetic is used, so there's nothing to wear off, and the composite is set with a light before you leave (Truly Dental aftercare sheet). The new edges can feel strange against your tongue for about 48 hours. After that, aftercare is mostly about stain and chips: less tea, coffee and red wine, no biting nails or very hard food on the bonded teeth, a night guard if you grind, and a check-up and clean every six months (3Dental).
Last checked November 2026: every clinic price on this page was re-read on the clinic's own website on 1 November 2026. Every figure links to its source.
Key points
Yes. Truly Dental's aftercare sheet: "You can eat and drink as normal after your visit today" (Truly Dental).
Bonding is usually done without local anaesthetic (3Dental says it "requires no anaesthetic or drilling", 3Dental), so you won't have a numb lip to bite. The composite is hardened with a curing light in the chair. Some clinics give their own timing advice, so follow whatever your dentist tells you on the day.
Nothing is banned, but very hard food and sweets can chip it, and dark drinks and foods stain it.
Yes, over time. Composite picks up surface stain from tea, coffee, red wine and smoking, and the colour can't be whitened back.
3Dental says smoking "causes yellow stains on your natural teeth and bonded teeth" (3Dental), and Truly Dental says newly bonded teeth are "particularly susceptible to staining by tobacco products" and points to the HSE's free quit-smoking support (Truly Dental). Surface stain is lifted at a scale and polish. Whitening gel won't change the composite itself, which is why the shade is chosen after any whitening (whitening before bonding).
Like your own teeth: brush twice a day, floss daily, and have a scale and polish every six months.
| Clinic | Scale and polish | With PRSI |
|---|---|---|
| 3Dental Dublin, Galway, Limerick | €85 | €15 |
| Dental Care Ireland Swords Swords, Dublin | €90 | €15 |
| Dental Care Ireland Douglas Douglas, Cork | €90 | €15 |
| College Gate Dental Glasnevin, Dublin | €90 | €15 |
| Slievemore Dental Stillorgan, Dublin | €90 | not listed |
| Shelbourne Dental Clinic Grand Canal Wharf, Dublin | €100 | not listed |
Read on each clinic's own page on 1 November 2026. The €15 PRSI price is for people who qualify under the PRSI dental scheme, once a calendar year (Swords Village Dental).
If you grind or clench your teeth at night, yes. Both clinics' aftercare advice says so, to stop the bonding wearing or breaking.
3Dental: "It is also best to get a night guard for night time wear to prevent any breakages if you grind your teeth at night time" (3Dental). Truly Dental recommends a custom-made night guard worn every night (Truly Dental). Published prices:
| Clinic | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Shelbourne Dental Clinic Grand Canal Wharf, Dublin | Bilaminate night guard | €180 |
| Swords Village Dental Swords, Dublin | Night guard | from €150 |
| Kiwi Dental Carlow | Soft / hard night guard | €150 / from €300 |
| College Gate Dental Glasnevin, Dublin | Night guard | €200 |
| Dental Care Ireland Douglas Douglas, Cork | Night guard | €250 |
| Lion Medical Tallaght, Dublin | Night guard | from €300 |
| Dental Care Ireland Swords Swords, Dublin | Night guard | €300 to €350 |
Don't panic and don't file it yourself. Ring the clinic. A chip is usually repaired by adding composite to the existing bonding.
Truly Dental says chipping or separation "can be simply and painlessly restored", but to book in as soon as possible (Truly Dental). 3Dental asks patients to call so the dentist can fix it (3Dental). Clinics rarely publish a separate repair price; a full redo is usually charged at the per-tooth bonding price, €125 to €800 in Ireland with a median of €250 (price survey).
Send one selfie and see what composite bonding could look like on your teeth, then meet a Dental Council-registered dentist near you. Free, no obligation.
Free smile previewStraight away. Truly Dental's aftercare sheet says you can eat and drink as normal after the visit, as no local anaesthetic is needed (Truly Dental).
Yes, but tea and coffee stain composite over time, so 3Dental advises cutting down if you drink a lot of them. Regular cleans lift surface stain.
The new shape and contour of the teeth can feel strange against your tongue for about 48 hours. If your bite still feels wrong after a few days, contact the clinic to have it adjusted.
If you grind your teeth at night, yes. 3Dental and Truly Dental both recommend one. Irish clinics publish night guards at €150 to €350.
Every six months. A scale and polish costs €85 to €100 at the Irish clinics we checked, or €15 for people who qualify under the PRSI dental scheme.
Prices and facts on this page were checked against these published pages on 1 November 2026. We are not affiliated with any clinic or organisation listed.