What are Dental Veneers?
Veneers are a cosmetic solution for quickly enhancing the appearance of unattractive, yet healthy, teeth. Our cosmetic dentists will dictate the color, shade, size, shape, and contour of each veneer. Paired together, a full set of veneers helps you achieve the picture perfect smile.
Unlike other restorations such as crowns or fillings, veneers only cover the front of your visible teeth. They do not fill the inside or wrap around the back of the respective tooth.
How Many Veneers Will You Need?
Typically installed in sets of 6-10, the average patient gets as many veneers as necessary to cover the top front teeth that are visible when they smile. The number is different for everyone, depending on which teeth are most prominent when talking or laughing. It’s fairly rare to place veneers on the lower front teeth because of the way your jaws bite together.
Porcelain Veneer Treatment Process
The procedure for getting dental veneers involves slightly prepping the front of your teeth to make room for the fixed restoration. For lab-made porcelain veneers, a thin layer of dental enamel is gently buffed away to prevent bulkiness.
During this first appointment our cosmetic dentist gently numbs and preps your teeth then takes a series of impressions for our lab.
All of your molds and images are sent to the lab where each veneer is custom designed by hand. In the meantime, we’ll fit you with temporary veneers to limit sensitivity or any aesthetic discrepancies.
About two weeks later you’ll return to have the temporary veneers removed. Each of your teeth is then fitted with the appropriate porcelain veneer, which is permanently bonded into place.
Types of Dental Veneers
Our cosmetic dentist will help you select the best veneers for your unique smile. Unlike crowns, which need to be fitted for functional purposes, dental veneers are strictly aesthetic. As such, we can adjust them to your preferences. Depending on your background and cosmetic concerns, you may want to consider one of the following options:
Porcelain Veneers
This premier cosmetic dentistry option can give you a brand new smile in just a couple of visits. Porcelain veneers offer optimal aesthetic results that allow you to adjust your smile to your unique preferences. The slightly translucent color also makes them more lifelike.
Porcelain is extremely durable and attractive. Of the different types of veneers available, full-mouth porcelain veneers are the gold standard. When properly cared for, you can expect them to last for an extended time frame of at least several years. Our patients prefer this option when they want to transform their entire smile’s appearance.
No-prep Veneers
Single visit dental veneers eliminate the need for enamel removal prior to implant placement. They’re bonded directly to the shape of your natural teeth, making them completely reversible should you ever decide to have them removed. Popular types of no-prep veneers include Lumineers, which look like traditional veneers in that they cover the entire tooth. Except the material they’re made out of is a bit more like a laminate. Since no-prep veneers add depth to your enamel, certain anatomical characteristics need to be kept in mind.
Clip-on Veneers (Snap-on Veneers)
These removable veneers (sometimes called “instasmile”) slip over your natural teeth to quickly erase any surface flaws. However, snap-on veneers can mask oral care needs related to gum disease and tooth decay, trapping bacteria underneath and causing additional infection. Oral health education and screening are essential with this type of temporary veneer system. They should be used on an extremely limited basis. Although attractive in cost, these types of veneers are not right for everyone.
Composite Veneers
This affordable alternative to porcelain veneers can be completed in just one appointment. Composite resin veneers are ideal for addressing one or two teeth with minor to moderate aesthetic concerns. This solution is great for our patients with small chips, gaps, or surface flaws in specific areas of their enamel. With a same-day composite veneer, the resin is matched and shaped directly onto your tooth in one appointment. Then we cure the composite resin with a bright light. In a matter of minutes, your tooth looks healthy and whole again.
There are a couple of downsides to composite veneers. One, the material is a bit opaquer. If it’s placed over the entire tooth, it won’t look as natural as porcelain. But over a smaller surface area it’s just fine. Second, the material in composite resin veneers is a bit more brittle than other materials. As such it can chip, wear, and stain more quickly. But it’s great for fast and cost-effective results.
Why Get Veneers?
Smile makeover treatments like dental veneers can help a person restore their confidence and enhance their quality of life. Aside from good oral health, the way you look and feel about your smile directly impacts how you spend your time. When you feel great about your smile’s appearance, you’ll want to show it off more frequently.
Investing in cosmetic dentistry options like porcelain veneers is a great way to help yourself put your best face forward. When you make a great impression at that next job interview, date, or party, the effects are far deeper than you might expect.
If you’re always refraining from smiling or laughing around other people, it may be a great time to think about a smile makeover solution.
The smile gallery
Do You Need Braces Before Veneers?
If you’re considering dental veneers to help create a straighter, more attractive smile, one of the most important factors to consider is how your teeth bite together. Placing veneers on your teeth could alter how they bite together, causing undue stress on the porcelain or your teeth (resulting in irregular wear patterns).
Depending on which teeth need veneers, it is sometimes recommended to get braces before dental veneers. For instance, if your front teeth hit “end to end” against one another. Or if there are extremely large gaps between your teeth, where larger veneers would appear bulky or unsightly. Similarly, severe crowding will leave little space for veneers to be bonded over the front of your tooth. Bringing them into a proper alignment would allow your new veneers to fit properly and look as natural as possible.
You might need braces before veneers if you have teeth with:
- An under bite
- A cross bite
- Large gaps
- Severe crowding
- Teeth that hit end to end
Because dental veneers are usually only placed on the front teeth, you may not need comprehensive full-mouth braces. Short-term orthodontics or aligners may be appropriate for adjusting the front of your smile before veneers are installed.
How to Care for Dental Veneers
To get the most out of your veneers or any cosmetic dentistry service, you want to care for them properly. We recommend sleeping in a night guard if you’re prone to clenching or grinding your teeth, to avoid unwanted chipping or fractures. Plan to brush and floss daily, as your oral health routine will help keep veneers clean and limit the risk of cavities on your supporting teeth. Several people assume that flossing can pull off dental veneers, but it’s actually the lack of flossing that is the biggest risk.
Choose a non-abrasive toothpaste to prevent surface scratches over time. Although porcelain dental veneers will maintain their color, surface stains can still accumulate from dark foods or liquids. Keep these items to a minimum and plan to have your teeth cleaned and examined by our dentist every six months.
