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Some dental treatments, such as dental veneers, need the use of specific materials. This article from My Implant Dentist is a dental veneers guide that will teach you all you need to know about them.
What Are Dental Veneers?
Dental veneers are tooth-coloured shells or covers composed of porcelain or composite materials that are put over the visible areas of your teeth.
These teeth overlays cover the front of each tooth they are put to and are designed to improve the appearance of your smile. They look just like real teeth (but better).
Dental veneers are custom-made to match the colour and form of your natural teeth, giving them the appearance of new and enhanced teeth.
Veneers may be a viable option for you if you have teeth that are clearly chipped, damaged, or worn, or stains on your teeth that cannot be removed with bleaching or whitening procedures.
Veneers can also conceal discolouration caused by root canals and pharmacological treatments such as tetracycline or excessive fluoride, as well as an old tooth filling that has discoloured or is more visible than you’d like.
How Do Veneers Look Like?
Dental veneers that have been properly manufactured, customized and placed resemble superior or improved versions of your original teeth.
Furthermore, dental veneers can improve the appearance and form of your smile by changing the appearance and location of your teeth, making smaller teeth appear larger, filling gaps, correcting abnormally pointed teeth, and making your whole smile more even.
Dental veneers might also assist if you have a discoloured or grey tooth as a result of earlier damage or injury.
Veneers can also be used to conceal bulges, craters, and uneven surfaces or edges of teeth.
Veneers are an excellent choice for someone who doesn’t have substantial tooth damage but wants to improve their natural smile in a non-invasive manner.
Dental Veneers Types
Tooth veneers, also known as dental veneers, come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
The best content for you is determined by the issues you wish to address.
Porcelain veneers are the best at resisting stains and simulating the light-reflecting sheen of naturally healthy teeth, whereas resin composite veneers are less expensive and can be a decent option, but they don’t necessarily last as long.
Porcelain veneers are the original or classic form of veneers, however, composite tooth veneers and resin tooth veneers are other options based on your objectives, dental conditions, and what your doctor suggests.
Ask your dentist whether no-prep veneers will work for you as an alternative to traditional veneers.
Consider these dental veneers to be contact lenses for your teeth.
No-prep veneers don’t require any drilling, sanding, grinding, or numbing, but they can change the colour and look of your teeth.
No-prep veneers may not be right for you if your teeth are severely chipped or damaged texturally, or if they are structured or pointed in a way that requires considerable tweaking before they can make a significant improvement.
It’s also possible to get a combination of no-prep and traditional porcelain veneers at the same time, which can be beneficial because even a few less invasive veneers can speed up your recovery time and reduce the risk of damage to your underlying tooth enamel; discuss your options with your dentist to see what would be best for your teeth and smile goals.
How Do Dental Veneers Work?
Teeth veneers operate by applying a wafer-thin coating of porcelain or a comparable composite material or composite resin to your existing teeth.
They are applied by cutting 0.3–0.5 millimetres from the surface of the tooth in order to preserve the nerve and maintain optimum strength, guaranteeing that your veneers will endure a long time and that there will be little to no difficulty replacing them if necessary in the future.
You don’t have to put a veneer on every tooth; only the ones that are bothersome, as well as maybe the neighbouring teeth.
Your dentist can give you the best advice on how many individual veneers you need and how to match the form and colour of the veneers to the natural teeth that surround them.
Furthermore, depending on the issues you want to address and the existing health of your mouth, you can obtain full veneers that totally cover the tooth or partial veneers that simply cover damaged or discoloured regions.
Many people opt to have only their front teeth (top, bottom, or both) veneered since they are the most apparent.
If most of your smile is already the way you want it, your dentist may be able to put individual tooth veneers in jigsaw pieces; each veneer can be coloured to match your existing teeth for a seamless effect.
What Issues Can Dental Veneers Resolve?
Dental veneers are a terrific way to address any cosmetic flaws in your teeth that orthodontia or whitening alone can’t fix. This can include things like:
- Fluoride causes tooth discolouration
- Resin fillings have discoloured the teeth
- Teeth that have been chipped or fractured
- Teeth that are misaligned
- Teeth with an irregular form
- Teeth with gaps
Dental veneers are also a quick and easy solution to preserve a gorgeous smile if you’re an actress or have a public persona to maintain.
The Procedure for Dental Veneers
The application of dental veneers is easy and straightforward, which is one of the primary reasons for their popularity.
Consultation
You’ll begin by meeting with your dentist for a consultation so that they may check your teeth and hear about your goals for changing your smile. They’ll make sure your mouth’s size and shape allow them to install the veneers appropriately.
Your dentist may take x-rays and imprints of your mouth at this time. This allows them to better comprehend the shape and condition of your teeth and oral structure.
Preparation
After that, your dentist will prepare your teeth for the veneers. To apply porcelain veneers, your dentist will need to remove a tiny layer of enamel from the front of your teeth that is the same thickness as the veneers. Following that, your dentist will take an imprint of your teeth and send it to a laboratory where your veneers will be made.
Bonding
In most cases, your veneers will be ready in two to four weeks. Your dentist will hold them up to your teeth at the last session and cut and modify them to guarantee a flawless fit. Your teeth will be cleaned and engraved when this is completed. The etching creates a tiny roughness on the front of your teeth, which aids the cement’s adhesion.
After that, your veneers are cemented in place and placed on your teeth. Once your dentist is satisfied with their placement, they’ll shine a light on the cement, which activates chemicals that let it to dry swiftly. If you’ve ever had braces, you’ll be familiar with this procedure.
Final Adjustments
Finally, your dentist will remove any extra cement from around your teeth so that the veneers appear perfectly natural. They’ll also check your bite and grin to make sure they’re in good working order. After a few weeks, you’ll have a follow-up consultation with your dentist to see how your gums are reacting to the new, alien substance near them.
Dental Veneers Benefits
Going through the veneers process has a lot of benefits. To begin with, this is a cautious method of modifying your teeth. Unlike crowns and bridges, there isn’t a lot of tooth sculpting required.
Veneers are very simple to maintain. You just floss and clean your teeth as you would with normal teeth. There are no specific flossers or instruments required.
They can endure up to 15 years if properly cared for.
Dental Veneers Disadvantages
Veneers, of course, have certain drawbacks. To begin with, the procedure is irreversible. Your grin will be permanently altered as a result of this procedure.
Furthermore, if a chip or crack occurs, your dentist will not be able to fix it. The entire veneer will need to be replaced by your dentist.
Some people become sensitive to hot and cold meals or drinks when a portion of their natural tooth is filed away.
Furthermore, the colour is permanent. That implies they might not be a perfect match for your other teeth’s colour. If you desire a brighter smile, have teeth whitening before starting this procedure.
Not everyone is a good fit for the job. Veneers are more prone to chip or break if you grind or clench your teeth. You would not be a good candidate for veneers in this situation.
People with bad teeth or a lack of enamel on their teeth would also be ineligible.
When Can You Get Dental Veneers?
If you are unhappy with the overall appearance of your teeth and smile, you may want to consider veneers.
However, most people who get veneers want to improve specific aspects of their teeth, such as discolourations such as a grey tooth from a root canal or traumatic injury, discoloured teeth from previous drug treatments or excessive fluoride exposure, chipped or broken teeth, crooked teeth or gaps, teeth that are too small or pointy, or other issues that result in a mouth that isn’t optimal in terms of appearance.
If you have slightly misaligned teeth but don’t want to deal with the agony of braces – not to mention the appearance of having braces as an adult – dental veneers may be a good solution.
Also, if you currently have an older set that needs to be updated or if your present set of teeth veneers is too thick and unnatural appearing, a new set of thinner, updated dental veneers may be required.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you’ve recently had an injury to your mouths, such as a broken tooth or dental surgery for a root canal or other issue, you’ll probably have to wait for things to recover before having veneers.
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