Dental Veneers
Dental veneer is somewhat a rescue for the chipped, cracked and uneven teeth. It looks like a shell, made of porcelain or ceramics and is applied onto the surface of the tooth, making it a perfect-molded one.
Veneers are the essential part of cosmetic dentistry; they improve your smile and make you look at least like a Hollywood star. The teeth, on which dental veneers have been applied, look nicely shaped and perfectly even. With the development of nowadays technologies, dental veneers started to look more natural, than they used to. Veneers can be compared with the artificial nails, the only difference is that they are long-lasting and way more comfortable!
Here are the most common reasons for using dental veneers:
- The teeth loose their whiteness and structure.
Over the time, your enamel might become stained and worn-out. It is
a great number of reasons, that makes it look worse. Coffee, tea, smoking
and drinking might cause that as well as genetics.
- Aging.
Teeth are a part of our body; the older we get, the older our teeth
are. Lack of calcium and aging are playing they role: our teeth turn
out to be more fragile and crack more.
- Uneven teeth.
There is a whole lot of reasons for it, starting with genetics and continuing
up to weariness. Many people have small teeth resulting in spaces that
may not be easily closed by orthodontics. But be aware of the fact that
patients whose lower jaw protrudes out farther than their upper jaw
may not benefit from veneers, because the teeth of the lower jaw may
bite into the teeth of the upper jaw such as to remove the veneers.
Different Types of Veneers
There are two types of dental veneers. The first one is the most common type, that’s porcelain veneer. Made of pure porcelain, it lasts for about 15 years. It is also known as dental porcelain laminates. This type of veneer resists stain and mimics, it is an extra-strong material.
The second type is resin composite veneer. It is made up of two different types of material and is cheaper, than the porcelain one, because it can be fabricated inside your mouth and does not require complex manufacturing process.
Both types of veneers require your teeth to be prepared before the
procedure, but there is no much of drilling. The preparation part includes
removing some of the natural part of the tooth to create a gap before
bonding the material.
Veneers vs. Whitening
A dentist may use one veneer to restore a single tooth that may have been fractured or discolored, or multiple teeth to create a "Hollywood" type of makeover. But that’s what the teeth whitening can do, too; and it is much easier and doesn’t spoil your teeth. So, if coloring is the only problem, you need to be solved, use the bleaching instead. The thing is, that putting veneers includes scratching your own enamel off, and then, if you decide to get rid of the veneers, your teeth turn out to be weak and tend to decay. If you don’t have any problems with your teeth shape, veneers are not recommended to you.
Veneers’ Benefits
Once more, the advantages of veneers are great. In addition to the excellent appearance, your teeth will be also very well protected, especially if you choose porcelain instead of composed material. When veneers are bonded to the tooth, they become a part of your organism and replace dental crown; they are durable and extra-strong.
But there are measures, which have to be taken no to remove veneers by accident. That doesn’t necessary involve a “no apples” sign for the rest of your life, but for the first couple of months you’ll have to have soft diet. Also, a special teeth protector is required for the time of your sleep.
Cost and Prices of Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are an attractive decision for those, who experience problems with their smile’s look. Gaps and spacing, chips and cracks, - all of this can be put into the category of the problems, solved by using veneers. The price of the procedure is pretty high, yet those, who choose to pay the money, are never dissatisfied with the results.
The cost of dental veneers may vary, depending on the set of criteria.
- The material, used during the procedures. Porcelain veneers are more
pricey, then the composite materials ones; the cost may go up to $2,500
per tooth. The cheapest composite material veneers cost about $250,
the most expensive ones - $1,500. The difference is their durability,
composite material last less, than porcelain.
- The technical skills of both the veneer technician in the laboratory
and your dentist.
- The fees of a dentist, who fulfills the process.
- The number of the cured teeth.
- The location, where you have your veneers set up, as prices vary greatly
from region to region.
Many dentists are eager to present you a paying plan; ask about this
in order to know, what exactly you are paying for.
The Procedure of Setting up Dental Veneers
The process of applying dental veneers usually takes about a month and a half, which includes two dental visits, and tooth or teeth examination and preparation. This time is usually offered to be an easy one: there are a lot of pleasurable distractions provided in most of the dental centers, for example, headphones with relaxing music, massage, spa therapy...
The first stage of the treatment is teeth inspection. It is a very significant step, because during this procedure the dentist examines your smile’s condition and finds out, what exactly the treatment will be. Also, this helps you both to decide on the best color for your future veneers, according to the natural teeth color. Nowadays, a lot of computer technologies are used in dentistry, so you would be able to see the result beforehand.
When speaking about the procedure itself, we can divide it into several
parts, too. First thing, that a dentist does, is administering local
anesthetic, so that the applying of veneers will be painless and relaxed
time for you. Then a little bit of drilling is done to shape the tooth
correctly before actually setting up porcelain or composite materials.
The dentist uses a bur, while reshaping your tooth, and as these instruments
come in different shapes and sizes, he will do it accurately; you don’t
have the need to worry.
After that, the imprint of your teeth is done and sent to the lab, where
the assisting technician fabricates your veneers. The time of veneer’s
preparing varies and depends on some factors, for example, the placement
of the laboratory. Also, some dentists use CAD/CAM technologies, which
make the process even faster.
CAD/CAM and Labs
Very often, the dentists would work with the outside laboratories, where they send the materials. But some of them are already used to the “computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing” method – that’s what the CAD/CAM stands for. If your dentist is of those, who use the external labs, you are likely to get temporary veneers at your first visit.
When your enamel is scratched off, your tooth or teeth become extra-sensitive, especially for the cold and hot. Temporaries are placed to protect you from this discomfort, and also to give you the preview of your future smile. So, the need to placing temporary dental veneers is usually based on either the amount of tooth reduction that has been required or the appearance of the prepared teeth. But if the amount of tooth reduction has been minimal, which happens quite often, it is possible that no temporary dental veneers are needed. The surface of the prepared teeth will feel somewhat rough, but in most cases this should not be a great worry.
Through the second dental visit you will, however, get rid of the temporaries and get your durable perfectly looking smile. The permanent veneers usually require some minor changes to fit perfectly, but the molding procedure doesn’t take long.
The usage of CAD/CAM technologies reduces the time of waiting, as they are used by the dentists directly in the office. They are designed specially for the patient and then are bonded and adjusted to the teeth. This allows you to save time, as the application and designing take place one and the same day. Also, as the procedure is completed quickly, you don’t have to wear the temporaries.
Recovery Period
There is basically no such a thing, as the recovery period; yet there are some remains of extra-sensitivity for several days after the process. You will also need to consult your dentist about the aftercare, so that your veneers will serve as long, as they can.
Remember, that dental veneers are long-lasting, but not permanent; they have to be replaced sooner or later. The durability of your veneers depends both on your dentist and your aftercare.
See more info:
- Minimal and “No-Prep” Veneers
- How to Choose Cosmetic Dentist