If you are looking for a teeth whitening solution or suffering from a chipped or crooked tooth, dental veneers are something you should consider. Dental veneers are also known as porcelain veneers or porcelain laminates. These are specifically designed to give your teeth a better appearance. They are wafer-thin, customized tooth-colored shells that are placed on the front surface of your teeth.

People with unusually small-sized teeth also opt for this solution. The commonly demanded veneers are the top or bottom frontal eight teeth which are shown in your smile.

Traditional dental veneers require much more intensive work and are more invasive compared to “no-prep veneers”. These no-prep veneers require some tooth alteration only affecting the enamel and under no local anesthesia, whereas the traditional veneers require grinding down the layers of the tooth structure mostly even past the enamel. It also requires local anesthesia and the process is irreversible as well as painful.

The misconception revolving in the minds of the population usually is if tooth implants are the same as veneers? No not at all! Veneers only cover the front surface of your tooth, on the other hand, implants are inserted into your gum to replace your tooth.

Eligibility:

There is no rule of eligibility to get veneers. People face all sorts of mouth issues which can be solved by undergoing this process. Even though you may have excellent oral hygiene, you may not like the look of your smile. If you are unhappy with your smile you may opt for veneers.

If you do not like getting braces or the color of your teeth or you may have a gray or chipped tooth because of an accident or maybe you would like to simply improve your appearance, veneers can help you overcome all these issues.

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Cost:

Due to the fact that veneers are a cosmetic procedure the price difference between traditional and no-prep veneers isn’t much as traditional costs averagely from $925 to $2500 per tooth whereas no prep costs around $800 to $2000 per tooth. The traditional veneers can last up to 10 to 15 years and no-prep veneers can last between 5 to 7 years so traditional veneers are more cost-effective in the long run. The cost of the veneers completely depends on factors like the brand your dentist is using, the expertise of your dentist, and what type of veneers you are considering.

Procedure:

In the preparation stage, you will need to get some preliminary tests done to check your eligibility and options that can fit right for your teeth. These tests will also determine how many veneers are needed. If you have crooked teeth then your dentist may apply braces ahead of the veneer procedure.

X-rays are taken to evaluate your teeth’ health such as signs and symptoms of gum disease, tooth decay, or cavity which may require a root canal depending on the severity. If you have any of the above symptoms, your chances of getting veneers may be thin.

Accurate sizing of your veneer is crucial and in order to measure it, your dentist will trim down about a millimeter and a half of your tooth along with removing the enamel with the help of a grinding tool so they can take an impression or mold of your teeth. This mold is later used as a measurement of the required veneer in the lab. A span of two to four weeks is needed for the lab to prepare your veneers.

A lot of consideration goes into making veneers, for example, how you talk, your personality, how you smile, and other functional factors as well. To make sure you are fully satisfied with going forward with the procedure, your dentist can provide you with temporary veneers which are made of a liquid composite so you can look at how your new smile will turn out.

This helps an individual decide if they would like to move forward and get the procedure done. You are allowed to get the temporary veneers fitted for seven to ten days for a trial. You may want to change the length or shape of your veneers after observing them for a few days. This is why this trial period is very important.

A total of three to four trips to the dentist are required for the complete veneer procedure. One for x-rays and preliminary tests, the second for the trial or temporary veneers, and the third for the final fitting.

Dental veneers are permanent but not for a lifetime. They can last up to fifteen to twenty years if taken care of properly. They can be easily replaced by drilling off the old veneers and doing the whole mentioned process above again.

Care:

You don’t have to wait for days for your teeth to recover. Instead, once the anesthesia wears off, you will be free to eat and chew like you normally would. But saying that, the dentist may warn you to be careful to not chew your own cheek mass or tongue while the anesthesia is wearing off.

Immediately after the procedure, you may feel the veneers to be slightly rough, but these will get smoother with days passing or you can ask your dentist and he or she can smooth them out.

Some precautionary measure should be taken into consideration if you would like your veneers to last longer:

• Avoid chewing on hard materials like fingernails or ice
• Don’t use your teeth to open the packaging
• Avoid chewing with your frontal teeth
• Don’t break hard surface food like chocolate bars
• If you are in the habit of grinding your teeth while asleep, you should consider buying a retainer
• If you play sports, a mouth guard is a good option to protect your veneers.

Lastly, you don’t have to worry about the veneers losing their color or fading out with years passing by. They will remain of the same color whether that’s bright white or more of a natural white.

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