A shape approved before the treatment
Flow injection is a technique for rebuilding tooth shape where the result is decided before the treatment visit. The design is first created outside the mouth and approved, and only then do we transfer it onto the teeth.
Who is this treatment for?
- People with a diastema or gaps between their teeth who want to close them without grinding
- Patients with worn biting edges — after years of bruxism or erosion
- Small or unusually shaped teeth, such as peg-shaped lateral incisors
- People after orthodontic treatment who only need the shape of their teeth improved
- Patients who want to see and approve the result before anything happens
What to expect
- First visit — an intraoral scan or impression, photographs and a design of the tooth shape for your approval
- A trial fitting of the design in your mouth, with no drilling — you see the shape before it becomes permanent
- Second visit — injecting the composite under the key, curing it and finishing the edges
- Polishing and a bite check; for larger cases, a follow-up visit after a week
How is it different from bonding?
- In bonding the dentist shapes the composite directly on the tooth, by hand and with a brush
- In flow injection we reproduce a shape approved in advance, so the result is repeatable
- For one or two teeth bonding is usually simpler; for the whole front of the smile, flow injection
- Both methods are reversible and neither requires grinding down healthy enamel
Dental bonding
The same family of materials, a different way of working: composite shaped directly on the tooth, with no key and no design on a model. For one or two teeth it is usually the simpler solution.
What you gain with this method
See the result first
You approve the design of the shape before the treatment. We make changes on the model, not on your teeth.
A repeatable shape
The silicone key reproduces the same shape on every tooth. Symmetry does not depend on the day or the hand.
No grinding
The composite goes onto the enamel without preparing it, so the treatment stays reversible.
Price per tooth
You pay for the actual scope of work. You know the full amount from the plan before we start.
From the first conversation to aftercare
Four steps to a healthy, beautiful smile.
01
Diagnostic consultation
An examination, intraoral and extraoral photos and, if needed, an intraoral scan and 3D CT.
02
Treatment plan
You receive it in writing, with stages, costs and alternatives. No pressure, no “offer that ends today”.
03
Treatment
The treatment is carried out by the doctor who planned your care. For specialist procedures, by a doctor from the team whom you meet before treatment starts.
04
Aftercare
A follow-up visit included in the price and written aftercare instructions. After treatment you contact the studio, which puts you in touch with your lead doctor.
Frequently asked questions
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The material is the same — composite — but the way the shape is created differs. In bonding the dentist shapes it directly on the tooth. In flow injection the shape is created beforehand outside the mouth and approved, and in the surgery we reproduce it under a silicone key. For a single tooth bonding is usually simpler; for the whole front of the smile, flow injection.
No. We apply the composite to etched enamel without preparing it, which is why the treatment is reversible — the material can be removed and the tooth returns to its original state.
As many as the design calls for. Most often it is six to eight front teeth, but sometimes two are enough. The price is per tooth, so you see the full amount in the treatment plan before you decide.
Over time composite loses its shine and absorbs stains, so how long it lasts depends on hygiene, diet and whether you clench your teeth. With regular hygiene visits and polishing, we usually talk about several years. Chips and stains can be fixed locally, without replacing the whole thing.
It usually does not need anaesthesia, because we do not touch the dentine. If the necks of the teeth are exposed, or you want to be sure you are comfortable, we use a local anaesthetic — just tell us before the treatment.
That is what the trial fitting is for. We first place the shape as a temporary model in your mouth and only make it permanent once you have approved it. Changes at this stage do not require removing anything from your teeth.
Our satisfied patients
Your front teeth have worn edges, there is a gap between the two front teeth, or your teeth have “never looked even” — and you are told the answer is veneers that require grinding. It does not always have to be that way. Flow injection in Gdańsk is a technique for rebuilding teeth with flowable composite, in which a shape designed beforehand on a model is transferred into the mouth through a clear silicone index — without touching healthy enamel. In this article we explain exactly what the treatment involves, who it is for, how it works step by step, how much it costs, how long it lasts and how it differs from bonding and porcelain veneers.
What flow injection is, and why people call it “veneers without grinding”
Flow injection (in the literature: injectable composite resin technique) is an additive method of rebuilding teeth: the dentist removes nothing and only adds material. The key element is not the composite itself but a clear silicone index — a kind of mould reproducing the planned shape of the teeth. Flowable composite is injected through openings in the index and then cured with a curing light through the transparent silicone.
In practice this means the final result is known before anything appears in your mouth. It is the opposite of a classic freehand restoration, where the shape is created in the chair, layer by layer.
Where the name comes from
The name simply describes the material and how it is applied: flow is flowable composite (with lower viscosity), injection is injecting it. Flowable composites are chosen here not because they are “better” but because they fill the mould under the index by themselves, without the need to press it from the outside — and pressure is the most common reason the silicone deforms and the result drifts from the design.
Flow injection and bonding — where the line is
This question comes up in the surgery almost every day. Bonding means shaping composite directly in the mouth, with no mould — excellent for a single aesthetic defect, quick, done in one visit. Flow injection is a planned composite restoration, with a design and an index in between. With one tooth the difference can be small. With six, eight or ten teeth at once it is a fundamental difference: the symmetry of the arch, the width-to-length proportions and the line of the biting edges are much easier to control on a model than on a living patient in 90 minutes.
Who flow injection is for, and who it is not for
It is not a universal method, and an honest practice will tell you so at the consultation. It helps to think of it as a tool for restoring lost or missing tooth volume — not for masking everything.
Typical indications
- worn biting edges and shortened front teeth (attrition, erosion)
- a diastema and gaps between teeth (closing a diastema with composite)
- peg-shaped teeth, especially lateral incisors with a reduced shape
- uneven, asymmetrical edges after orthodontic treatment has finished
- small enamel cracks and surface irregularities
- a temporary restoration before final prosthetic work
The wider context: tooth wear is not just a problem for older people. A systematic review by Van't Spijker et al. (International Journal of Prosthodontics, 2009) estimated that the share of adults with severe wear rises from about 3% at age 20 to about 17% at age 70 — but mild and moderate wear is much more common and appears very early. Newer studies based on the BEWE index and intraoral scans show signs of wear in most of the young adults examined.
When something else is a better choice
Flow injection has limits with severe internal discolouration (composite is partly translucent and will not “cover” a dark tooth the way a porcelain veneer does), with extensive tissue loss that needs a crown, with untreated gum disease, active decay and uncorrected bite problems. Uncontrolled bruxism does not rule out the treatment, but it makes a protective night guard essential — without one, the restoration behaves like a consumable.
How the treatment works, step by step
Step 1: consultation, documentation and smile design
The first visit includes an examination, intraoral and extraoral photographs, an intraoral scan or impression and a bite analysis. On this basis we create a digital wax-up — a design of the new shapes. This is the right moment for discussion: the length of the front teeth, the shape of the edges, how much tooth “shows” when you smile. Changes to the design are free; changes to a finished restoration are not.
Step 2: silicone index and trial fitting
The approved design is used to make a clear index. Many patients first get a mock-up — a non-binding trial of the future shape that they can look at in the mirror and take off. If a practice offers this stage, it is worth using: it is the only moment when you can see the result before it becomes permanent.
Step 3: injecting the composite, finishing and polishing
On the day of the treatment the teeth are thoroughly cleaned and isolated (usually with a rubber dam), and the enamel is etched and coated with an adhesive system. Then the flowable composite goes under the index and is cured. The rest of the visit — sometimes most of it — is spent removing excess at the gum line, adjusting the bite and polishing. This is the most underrated stage: a poorly polished surface stains faster, and excess composite under the gum is the most common cause of inflammation later on.
The treatment is usually painless and in most cases does not require anaesthesia, because the tooth tissue is not touched.
How long the result lasts and what it really depends on
The realistic horizon is several years with good hygiene and regular check-ups, with periodic polishing and small adjustments along the way. Clinical studies give a fairly consistent picture: case reports with 12-month and 2-year follow-up (including Geštakovski, Quintessence International, 2019) show good marginal adaptation and no significant wear, while Oliveira et al. (Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, 2020) point to limited colour stability after just one year of use.
And this is the honest answer that is rarely given directly: flow injection does not fail suddenly — it gradually loses its shine and lighter shade rather than suddenly cracking.
What shortens the life of a restoration
Coffee, tea, red wine and cigarettes (composite absorbs stains more than enamel does), bruxism without a night guard, nail biting and opening packaging with your teeth, as well as neglected hygiene — plaque at the border between composite and enamel speeds up staining along that line.
How to make the result last longer
A check-up and polishing about every 6 months, a night guard if you have bruxism, a sonic toothbrush and flossing, and cutting down on highly abrasive (whitening) toothpastes, which dull the composite surface.
Flow injection, bonding or porcelain veneers
The simplest way to think about it is as three different levels of control, durability and invasiveness.
Bonding — one visit, freehand shaping, no grinding, excellent for 1–2 teeth and small corrections. The lowest entry cost.
Flow injection — two visits (design + treatment), a planned and repeatable result, no grinding, reversible in the sense that no enamel is removed. Ideal for rebuilding many teeth at once and for restoring worn edges.
Porcelain veneers — the most durable and the most resistant to staining, but they usually require enamel preparation, are irreversible and cost noticeably more (at Smile Bonding Studio bonding from 999 PLN, flow injection from 1 099 PLN, porcelain veneers from 2 499 PLN per tooth).
There is one more order worth knowing that is often forgotten online: composite does not whiten. If you are planning teeth whitening, it is done before the restoration — otherwise after a few weeks the restoration stays in its old shade while your natural teeth are lighter.
Flow injection Gdańsk – price and what affects the cost
In the Tricity area prices range roughly from 700 to 1 500 PLN per tooth, and at Smile Bonding Studio in Gdańsk Oliwa flow injection starts from 1 099 PLN per tooth. On top of that there is a consultation with a treatment plan (from 249 PLN) and — if needed — a hygiene session before the treatment.
The final amount depends on: the number of teeth being rebuilt, the scope of the makeover (correcting edges alone costs differently from restoring bite height), whether cavities or gums need treating first, the class of composite used and whether the design is made by hand or digitally.
A practical tip: compare treatment plans, not prices per tooth. A plan that names the material, the number of teeth, the stages and the alternatives tells you more than the lowest price in a search engine. At the Studio we email you such a plan, with the option of spreading payment into instalments (12–48 months).
What to look for when choosing a practice in Gdańsk
A few questions worth asking at the consultation:
- Will I see the design (wax-up or mock-up) before the treatment?
- Exactly which composite will be used, and why that one?
- Is whitening planned before the restoration?
- What does the bite analysis look like — especially with worn teeth?
- What does the follow-up after the treatment include, and how often is it done?
- Is the treatment carried out by the same dentist who planned it?
The last point is often underrated, but with the injection technique it matters: the person who designed the shape knows best what it should look like after polishing.
Key takeaways
- Flow injection is an additive restoration technique: it does not require grinding down healthy enamel.
- The quality of the result depends on the design and the silicone index, not on the “flowable composite” itself.
- It works best for worn edges, a diastema, peg-shaped teeth and rebuilding many teeth at once.
- It lasts several years; the most common problem is a gradual loss of colour and shine, not mechanical damage.
- Whitening is always planned before the restoration, because composite does not respond to whitening agents.
- Price in Gdańsk: about 700–1 500 PLN per tooth; at Smile Bonding Studio from 1 099 PLN.
- Bruxism does not rule out the treatment, but it requires a protective night guard.
Summary
Flow injection has become popular not because it is “the latest trend in cosmetic dentistry” but because it solves a specific problem: how to restore the shape and function of teeth without irreversibly removing healthy tissue. For a patient with worn front teeth, a gap between the two front teeth or teeth that need finishing after orthodontics, it is often the most sensible first step — cheaper than porcelain, reversible and predictable, because the shape is agreed on a design rather than improvised in the chair.
It is not, however, a lifelong solution, and anyone who promises otherwise is not telling the truth. Composite needs check-ups, polishing and a refresh after a few years. A well-managed restoration is a relationship with the practice, not a one-off transaction.
If you are considering flow injection in Gdańsk, start with a consultation: an examination, photographs and a written treatment plan with costs and alternatives. Only with the design in front of you can you calmly decide whether this method is for you — and that decision should be made at home, not in the surgery.
