Dental veneers are thin pieces of porcelain or plastic placed on your front teeth to change the color or shape of your teeth. One of the benefits of porcelain veneers is that they are used on teeth with uneven or cracked surfaces, are discolored, have uneven gaps, or are crooked.
This treatment is an alternative to more expensive dental crowns. In this procedure, your dentist will take an impression of your teeth. Before the custom-made veneer is placed directly on your tooth, your dentist will smooth the surface of your tooth to compensate for the extra thickness of the veneer.
Once a special adhesive is placed between the veneer and your tooth, a light beam is used to harden it. Porcelain veneers require more than one visit because they are made in a laboratory. Veneers are more durable and color-stable than dental veneers, but each has its unique advantages and disadvantages.
What are composite veneers?
Veneers are very thin shells of ceramic or a composite resin material that are bonded to the surface of your teeth. This procedure does not require anesthesia and can be done with local anesthesia. Composite veneers can be an ideal choice for improving the appearance of your front teeth. Veneers are placed to cover discoloration, brighten your teeth, and improve your smile.
Dental Laminates, Porcelain Veneers
Dental laminates, commonly known as dental crowns, are made of porcelain or composite materials. This thin layer of material is placed over your natural teeth and can help protect them from decay as well as improve the appearance of your smile. Here are some important facts you should know about veneers before you get the procedure.
Porcelain veneers generally reflect light like real teeth and therefore have a more natural appearance than composite veneers. Porcelain veneers also last longer, with most lasting between 10 and 20 years. Since porcelain is denser, it is more resistant to stains.
If only one or two teeth need veneers, this can be a good thing for the patient because they will not appear a noticeably different color than the rest.
Key Benefits of Veneers
Although many people see veneers as an optional method to improve the color and aesthetics of their teeth, there are many benefits to using veneers.
The popularity of teeth whitening treatments continues to grow, but in some cases, teeth whitening procedures either cannot be performed on all types of teeth or are not effective for some patients.
Some stains, such as those caused by prescription medications, overuse of fluoride toothpaste, or root canal discoloration, are too severe to be removed by simple whitening. In these cases, a whiter dental veneer can be applied to your natural teeth to achieve the desired appearance.
- Repairing worn or chipped teeth.
Sometimes a tooth is chipped, chipped, or broken for a variety of reasons, such as sports, trauma, or decay, but traditional options such as extractions and fillings are sometimes not enough and do not fix all of the tooth’s imperfections. Veneers can be used on multiple teeth at a time or just one tooth, depending on the patient’s dental condition.
- Improve the appearance of teeth.
Protruding teeth, uneven teeth, or misaligned teeth can be improved by adding veneers. Before placing the veneers, a dental professional will remove a small amount of the enamel surface. This not only prevents the veneers from looking too crowded and overly prominent, but it also helps to even out the shape of the teeth.
Eliminating gaps between teeth may be aesthetically pleasing to many people, but it can also cause jawbone loss and teeth to shift into incorrect positions. Veneers can close gaps between teeth and prevent these problems from occurring.
Composite Resin Veneers
There are two types of veneers commonly used by dental professionals, each with its advantages and disadvantages. One of the most widely used in the dental industry is composite resin.
A less expensive option is to use composite resin. Composite resin veneers typically last between five and seven years and will not usually need to be replaced before this time. This type of veneer can be less compressed and requires less grinding of natural teeth.
The base requires more wear.
In some cases, your dentist may need to grind more (about 1.5 mm) of your enamel. Your dentist will consider the following two things when making this decision:
- The more wear, the thicker the veneer should be. A thicker veneer makes it easier to create a beautiful, natural look while covering the color of the underlying tooth.
- On the other hand, too much enamel may expose some of the dentin (the hard tissue beneath the enamel). This can negatively affect the life of the dental veneer.
Choosing the Color of the Veneer
Your dentist will determine which color of veneer is best for your teeth by determining the tonality of the teeth on either side of the tooth.
Your dentist may decide to use different colors of porcelain in different parts of the veneer. Your dentist will also determine how clear different parts of the veneer should be.
Measuring Your Teeth and Making a Veneer Mold
Once the grinding and chipping process is complete, your dentist in Kingston will measure your teeth and make a mold, which is a detailed and accurate model of your teeth and gums. This is how your veneer is made.