Dental Veneers: Things You Should Know Before Getting Them

What Are Dental Veneers?

Veneers are thin shell-like appliances used in restoring the cosmetic appearances of teeth. The veneer teeth are attached to the surfaces of damaged teeth to make them look and feel better. Most dental veneers are made of porcelain or resin composite materials. This makes them easy to match to the natural color of teeth, given that the materials are mostly tooth-colored.

Dental veneers are used as an alternative dental treatment for several oral problems that patients have. Usually, it is a cosmetic dental solution, more than it is a functional restorative procedure.

What Problems Do Veneers Treat?

• Discolored teeth – veneers near you will be used as one of the solutions to stained teeth. Ideally, installing shell-like appliances is a non-invasive procedure, as compared to other treatments. It is why some patients prefer them. A dentist will also recommend the porcelain veneers is the discoloration on your teeth is too advanced to be removed with professional whitening products.
• Chipped or broken teeth – a natural tooth is very strong. It is built to last a lifetime. However, it is not immune to things like accidents and injuries. An injury can badly crack, chip or break a tooth. This poses both a cosmetic problem and a functional problem. Instead of opting to remove the natural tooth and replace it with an artificial one, you can save the tooth. Veneers can restore the look and feel of a broken tooth so that patients retain their natural teeth for as long as possible.
• Gaps between teeth – sometimes teeth can grow apart from each other, leaving significant gaps between them. Such a look is not aesthetically appealing, which explains why patients need instant smile veneers. The porcelain shells can close the gaps in between the teeth, sparing patients the long process of orthodontics for teeth realignment.
• Decayed teeth and cavities – a decayed tooth compromises the entire health of a patient’s mouth it invites oral problems such as toothaches, abscess buildup, sensitive teeth, bad breath, gum problems, to mention a few. To avoid such, it is better to treat a cavity as early as possible. Veneers can be used as fillers to close small holes caused by cavities.
• Smaller-than-average teeth – when teeth are smaller than they should be, it becomes a cosmetic concern. It makes the gums look larger than they are, and compromise the appeal of a patient’s smile. Porcelain veneers are in this case used to lengthen the appearance of short teeth to make them look better.
• Poorly-shaped teeth – teeth have a standardly accepted shape, depending on the type of tooth it is. For example, canines are sharp-pointed as compared to other types like molars and incisors. When the shape of teeth in strangely shaped, the cosmetic appearance is compromised. Teeth that are too pointy and sharp, or bearing strange shapes, can be corrected with dental veneers.

What Makes Them Different From Dental Crowns?

Dental crowns have extensively been used in correcting different dental problems. Some of the oral issues that dental crowns correct can be fixed with veneers near you. However, crowns and composite veneers are different in how they work. Some of the differences involve:

• Area of coverage – a dental crown covers the entire tooth. This makes sure that the enamel of the natural tooth is completely removed to make room for the crown. On the other hand, teeth veneers cover the front surfaces of teeth. Only a small amount of a tooth’s enamel is shaved to allow for the thin porcelain shells to be placed.
• Level of invasion – as mentioned above, dental crowns are more invasive that teeth veneers because they require a lot of space to cover a tooth. You retain a lot of your natural tooth’s structure with oral veneers than with dental crowns.

What to Expect In the Procedure

The procedure of getting oral veneers bonded to your teeth is not a complex one. Depending on how many teeth need to be fixed, you will be in session for between 30 minutes to 1 hour for each tooth. The process involves the following steps:

• Professional teeth cleaning for preparation
• Roughening of tooth surface through grinding
• Bonding process – uses special bonding cement and laser or ultraviolet light to harden the material to the tooth.