Veneers are sheets that cover the ugly or rough surface of the wood panels to make it look pleasing. Similarly, dental veneers are very thin porcelain sheets that cover the frontal surface of the teeth to make them look beautiful and pleasant. Theses dental veneers are tooth coloured to make them blend with your natural teeth.
Why are dental veneers used?
Dental veneers are one of the important procedures followed by cosmetic dentists to change the look of your teeth and smile. Porcelain veneers are preferred by many people over other cosmetic dental procedures because of its many advantages, compared to other procedures. They are very versatile, and require less preparation than other types of cosmetic dental techniques. Most importantly they can be customized according to need and are easy to install. Also, this is one of the major non-invasive techniques to get a better smile where no surgery is involved.
What procedure is followed to install dental veneers?
The procedure actually takes one sitting, but before the actual procedure to install the veneers, your dentist will have a conference with you and the cosmetic dentist. You all will consult with each other and decide what you want to change in your teeth and whether what you want can be achieved by the dental veneers.
Once it is decided that dental veneers are best option for you, your dentist will show you images of the veneers that you can choose from. After you have chosen the shape and length of the veneer, your dentist will order it from the lab. As the delivery is received you will get a call from your dentist to visit the dentist at an appointed hour. These veneers are then bonded to your teeth with a special dental cement which will last forever.
Several years back, the dental veneers needed relatively rough surface to be bonded to. Now, the new veneers do not need any preparation of teeth before bonding. These ‘prep less’ veneers require minimal tooth scraping or in some cases not at all. They can be cemented onto the front of the teeth as it is.
Who can benefit from porcelain veneers?
Porcelain veneers advised for patients who have cracked or chipped teeth, or deeply stained teeth or people who have very short or very widely spaced teeth. In some cases, no such problems exist, but they are just not happy with their smile, and want to get a smile they dream of, which they can get from dental veneers.
Deeply stained teeth:
Teeth can be stained because of the kinds of food intake, and lifestyles, and most teeth stains can be removed by methods like teeth whitening. But stains that come from medication or injury cannot be removed by normal teeth whitening procedures. They are deeper stains. Dental veneers are the best option in such cases, because they will hide the stains beneath the veneers. And since they are on top of the teeth, the factors that caused the deep stains in the first place will not be able to discolour porcelain veneers.
Cracked or chipped teeth or widely spaced teeth:
When you sustain an injury to your teeth in accident or sports, and end up having a cracked or chipped tooth, dental veneers is a very good option to hide the injured tooth behind well shaped dental veneers. In some cases, teeth are well shaped, but are far apart from each other creating gaps between them. Dental veneers can be shaped in such away that these gaps are hidden and teeth look evenly spaced.
Better smile:
Some people just want to have a better smile which they have either seen somewhere or create themselves, and want to have that. Porcelain veneers can give a new shape and size to your teeth. Since veneers are customized, you can choose the shape and size of the veneers to suit yourself. You can choose the colour of your teeth and get whiter and brighter teeth with porcelain veneer because porcelain can be given desired colour to it while it is being made.
Are porcelain dental veneers best choice for you?
There are many factors that determine whether you are a good candidate for porcelain veneers.
Your dentist will have to assure the health of your back teeth, the bite of your front teeth and should consult with you and give advice on the design of the veneers you choose.
Bite:
A proper stable bite is very important for making your veneers long lasting. If you do not have a proper bite, the pressure on the upper teeth can dislodge your veneers.
Healthy back teeth:
Before you get veneers installed, your dentist will have to make sure your back teeth are healthy and restored if needed. Any cavities, or gum disease will affect the life of veneers.
Design:
The dentist should help individuals to decide in choosing the correct length and breadth or shape of the veneers. The overall effect of veneers should match the personality of the patient and not stand out or look incongruent. The dentist can show the patient suitable designs and images on computer of how it will look on the patient.
Cost:
Dental veneers can be expensive compared to other cosmetic procedures, but it will improve the appearance of your smile, and your face. In turn it will boost your confidence level improving your social relations. Dental veneers are durable and long lasting; therefore the cost can be compensated in other benefits.
Factors to be considered before deciding to get dental veneers:
Although dental veneers are long lasting, they are not invulnerable to chipping or breaking under too much pressure. Eating hard foods, or teeth grinding can make them break away. So, if you have the habit of grinding teeth (bruxism), you will be advised to reconsider your decision about having dental veneers.
Dental veneers are final. When you go for it then there is no going back. The process is irreversible. The veneers are permanent, and even when they need replacement for whatever reasons, you will need to replace them again with new veneers.