Are Porcelain Veneers Right for You?
If you want to change your teeth shape, size or color, veneers might be the right choice for you. On social media, you see an influx of smile transformations. Veneers, more specifically, have been showcased as a viable and effective option.
What are veneers?
Veneers are thin porcelain “shells” molded and placed over your tooth’s front to enhance your smile. Through careful planning and personal customization, veneers can transform your smile from the shape of your teeth to the shade of them. They are perfect for those with chipped teeth, misshapen teeth, dentition that will not whiten, or even those with uneven spaces.
Benefits?
A smile can go a long way! Feeling confident in your smile is so important and that is the most significant benefit to a veneer. Clinically, for those with misshapen teeth or chipped teeth, veneers can provide a long-term solution for those concerns. By providing uniform shape and size, it will reinforce your current dentition. Of course, your dentist will schedule a proper consultation to ensure that veneers are the right step for you.
Do they ruin your teeth?
Veneers are great for enhancing your smile. Before placing veneers, the dentist will check the health of the gums and the teeth. They would want to make sure that the gums are healthy and the patient is coming in for regular checkups and cleanings. Also, making sure that the patient’s mouth’s overall health is in good condition is essential. The healthier the teeth, the less “bad” bacteria in the mouth, the less prone you will be to a breakdown of veneers.
Although there is shaving down of the teeth, most patients do not experience increased sensitivity. Depending on your smile, some veneers can be prep-less where there is no polishing down of your tooth.
What is the veneer process?
It is essential to plan out the position, shape and shade of your veneers.
- Depending on the case, pre-operative photos are taken before starting treatment, along with a digital scan of your teeth. These images allow the team to create a digital wax-up or model of your possible veneers to ensure that their position is right for your bite and smile.
- Once created, a digital rendering is shared with you via email. A dental laboratory will fabricate the models to make a template for your temporary veneers.
Your “fitting” visit is scheduled to review the rendering and begin treatment.
- Anesthetic is administered to create a pain-free experience and polish your teeth down to the appropriate size for your future veneers. Temporary veneers are made and polished. You get to go home with these are test them out! Do you like the shape? The color? The size? Does it feel normal when you are talking?
- Once the fit and comfort of the temporaries is finalized, the dental laboratory fabricates the final product. Your last veneer visit entails removing your temporaries and cementing on your permanent veneers.
Disclaimer: Although the doctor wishes that everything fits perfectly for that last visit, there are times that the veneers need to be sent back due to patient concerns or clinical concerns. In these cases, those veneers will be sent back to the laboratory for correction to have a perfectly fitting result.
How do you care for veneers?
The goal is for veneers to last you at least 10- 15 years. Multiple factors can assist in the longevity of your dental work! First and foremost, keeping up with routine dental visits are essential. We recommend you be seen for a cleaning at least twice a year to keep plaque and tartar at a minimum. This appointment provides an opportunity for your dentist to complete a check up on not only the veneers but your other dentition, addressing any possible cavities that could be forming. Retainers, even possibly a nightguard, after a veneer placement, is also commonplace.
It protects the new restorations when you are sleeping from habits that we cannot always correct, such as grinding.