What is minor dent removal?
"Minor" describes the dent's depth and how gradually it slopes, not only its diameter. A minor dent has a smooth, rounded profile, the paint is unbroken and the surrounding metal is not stretched. These dents come from footballs, dropped tools, leaning bicycles, hand pressure on a bonnet or a light knock from another vehicle.
Because the metal has only been displaced, not deformed permanently, the technician can push it back to its original contour. The repair is confirmed under a reflection light where even a tenth of a millimetre of remaining low spot shows as a bend in the lines.
Dents suitable for this service
- Rounded dents on doors, fenders, bonnets and quarter panels
- Dents from footballs, bicycles or dropped items
- Shallow pressure dents on bonnets and roofs
- Dents with a diameter up to roughly 10–12 cm and gentle edges
When PDR may not be suitable
- Dents with cracked or missing paint
- Dents that have already been pushed out badly by someone else and left high spots
- Dents on double-skinned areas with no access hole and no room for glue pulling
Benefits
- Same-day repair for most single dents
- Original paint preserved — no repainting, no blending into adjacent panels
- Significantly cheaper than filler-and-paint repair
- No risk of overspray on trims and glass
How Dry Denter assesses the damage
Photos taken at an angle under daylight show the dent's outline in the reflection. We assess depth, whether the edges are gradual or sharp and how the dent can be reached. Minor dents on open panel areas are the easiest jobs to quote from photos.
Repair process
- Photo assessment and estimate
- Panel cleaned and the dent mapped under the PDR light
- Access prepared — trim, liner or lamp removed only if required
- Gradual pushes from behind, crown tapped down, reflection re-checked
- Surface polished and inspected before handover
How long does it take?
Most minor dents take 30 minutes to 2 hours. Repair time grows with depth, with the stiffness of the panel (bonnets and roofs are thinner and move faster than lower doors) and with access.
Common questions about minor dent removal
What counts as a minor dent?
A shallow dent with soft edges and undamaged paint, generally up to about palm size. Sharper or deeper damage is treated as a crease or a large dent.
Can an old dent still be fixed?
Yes. As long as the paint is intact and the metal has not been stretched, the age of a dent does not affect the repair.