Improving Your Smile with Veneers
When you look in the mirror, is the first thing you notice your smile? Perhaps there is something about your smile that makes you feel self-conscious, be it a gap between your teeth, or a noticeable chip. Veneers are a great option to talk to your dentist about if you are wanting to improve the appearance of your smile. Here, we will talk about the basics of what veneers are, how they are applied, and life after the procedure to help you decide whether to look further into this option with your dentist.
What are Veneers?
Dental veneers are a long-term solution to cosmetic problems. They are thin shells that a dentist will permanently bond to the front of your teeth. They act much like a building facade, covering the dental damage or helping with slight corrections. Veneers are either made from porcelain or a tooth-colored, resin-based composite. Your dentist can custom-make your veneers to fit your teeth and improve their appearance.
Veneers can be used to rectify a number of cosmetic issues, like chipped or broken teeth, discoloration, gaps, crookedness, or smaller-than-average tooth size. Depending on the issue you would like fixed, you could get one veneer to fix a chipped tooth or as many as eight to achieve an even, symmetrical smile.
As part of the application process, dentists have to grind down some of the tooth - including the enamel, which is the tooth's protective layer. Because of this, the procedure is irreversible. Once you have veneers, you will always need to use them. (Healthline)
Application
However many veneers you are looking to get, the process does require prep work. Your dentist will talk to you about what to expect in your specific case. But generally, you can expect your procedure to follow as such:
When applying traditional porcelain veneers, your dentist will begin by grinding down the surface of the tooth, past the enamel. Your dentist will offer a local anesthetic if the procedure is expected to be painful. They will then make an impression of your teeth and send it out to a lab for the veneers to be made. Temporary veneers will be used in their place until the permanent veneers are ready.
Prep for veneers made from a resin-based composite material is very similar. However, in this case, less of the tooth and its enamel layer is removed, and the veneers can be made in the office using CAD/CAM technology.
Once the porcelain or composite veneers are ready, your dentist will place them on your prepared tooth or teeth and cement them in place.
Durability
After your dentist cements your veneers into place, you do not need to abstain from any foods or drinks, although since veneers can stain over time, you may choose to avoid regularly consuming things that stain teeth like coffee, tea, red wine, or tobacco products.
Veneers that are well taken care of can last around 10 years, depending on the material it is made of. Porcelain veneers can last up to 20 years, and while composite veneers are expected to last for significantly less time, they are also much easier to replace. (Medical News Today)
Contact Us
If you are wondering if veneers can help you be more confident about your smile, we would love to talk to you about your specific situation. Call us at (704) 327-3258 or request an appointment on our website.