Dental Veneers

Whitening Intrinsically Stained Teeth

Your teeth may be discolored and stained for several reasons — because of the gradual wearing off of enamel, because of the surface stains on your enamel, or because of intrinsic stains from childhood.

If your teeth are stained and discolored intrinsically or because of insufficient enamel, then you can’t whiten them with regular teeth whitening procedures. In that case, dental veneers are the best way to conceal them and project the appearance of a perfect set of white teeth.

Furthermore, even if you have surface stains on your teeth, then professional teeth whitening isn’t a permanent procedure. Dental veneers, on the other hand, are permanent and you won’t need touch-ups every few months.

Replacing Worn Enamel

As mentioned previously, as you grow older, your natural enamel starts wearing off gradually. The enamel is translucent and when it wears off, you can see the underlying dentin layer, which makes your teeth look discolored.

With dental veneers, you can replace the worn-out enamel, especially if you use porcelain veneers. Porcelain has many of the same properties as enamel — it has the same texture and it reflects light in the same way. As such, porcelain veneers look just like actual enamel.

Fixing Misaligned and Crooked Teeth

Do you suffer from malocclusion or issues of misalignment such as crooked teeth, open bite, protruding teeth, etc? Generally speaking, you can fix these issues with orthodontic procedures but those procedures take several years.

With veneers, you can conceal all of those misalignment issues and project a perfectly even and symmetrical set of teeth.

Expensive

The average cost of porcelain veneers for a single tooth varies. As such, getting multiple dental veneers may be expensive.

Sensitivity

Your teeth will be sensitive to hot and cold temperatures for a while after the procedure because stripping the enamel increases sensitivity.

Permanent

The dentist will need to remove some of the surface enamel to accommodate the dental veneers, making this an irreversible procedure.

The following are the different types of dental veneers available.

• Porcelain Veneers: These are veneers made of porcelain. They’re the best type of dental veneers because porcelain has the same texture as natural enamel.
• Composite Resin Veneers: Composite resin is also tooth-colored but it doesn’t reflect light like enamel and it breaks more easily.
• Lumineers Cosmetic Dentistry: Lumineers are the best type of dental veneers because they’re extremely thin and can be bonded to your teeth without removing any of the existing enamel. This makes them reversible and less invasive.

The following is a brief overview of the porcelain teeth procedure:

• During your initial consultation, the dentist will examine your teeth to determine how to proceed with the treatment.
• They’ll take impressions of your teeth and a dental mold to create a set of dental veneers that closely resemble your actual teeth.
• The dentist will prepare your teeth by shaving off some of the surface enamel — approximately 0.5 millimeters.
• They’ll apply an anesthetic gel to your teeth and gums so you don’t feel anything.
• The dentist will place dental veneers over your teeth, polish, and clean them.
• They’ll use a special light and dental cement to bond the dental veneers to your teeth.