What are dental veneers?
Dental veneers are some of the
most versatile tools we have when it comes to correcting defects in your
teeth. Dental veneers, also known as ceramic or porcelain veneers, are
extremely thin pieces of porcelain that we use to replace the damaged
enamel on your teeth. The reason dental veneers are so effective is
their thinness. Being paper thin, these veneers take on many of the same
qualities as naturally occurring enamel. They are extremely hard, which
gives you a long-term solution when your enamel has become damaged.
They are also extremely brittle, just like enamel, and so you will need
to protect your teeth the same way you would protect natural teeth.
Being extremely malleable, veneers can be molded to fix a variety of
problems with the teeth.
Do dental veneers work for everyone?
Dental
veneers are an extremely versatile solution, and in most cases can be
used by anyone. For us to make sure that you are an excellent candidate
for dental veneers, we will schedule an initial consultation and also a
first examination. During your examination, we will make sure that your
mouth is in excellent condition and primed to replace your enamel with
the veneers. If we find any issues that might become a problem later on
in the process, we will work on solutions so that your dental veneers
placement is seamless. On rare occasions, during this initial
examination, we will find that there are people who cannot get dental
veneers and for them we will explore other potential solutions to
damaged teeth.
How are dental veneers attached?
As soon as
we know that you are an excellent candidate to receive dental veneers,
we can proceed to the next step. This step involves selecting the color
and shade that you want for your veneers. We will have your veneers
custom made to fit your needs, including the shade that you choose from.
That information will along with an impression of your teeth will be
sent to a dental lab for the final veneers to be created. In the
meantime, we will prepare your tooth by removing a portion of your
enamel to make sure that the veneers fit flat against the rest of your
tooth. Typically this is only a few millimeters but it allows the veneer
to fit flush with the tooth. We will then place a temporary veneer on
top of it.
Once we have the permanent veneers, we will fit them to
your tooth. After making sure that the color is right, we will make any
slight adjustments so that the veneer fits the tooth perfectly. We will
also check to make sure that your bite is not affected, and once all
the elements are perfectly in sync we will cement the dental veneers to
your teeth.
What problems do dental veneers fix?
Dental
veneers can fix a whole range of challenges. They are an extremely
durable and versatile solution. We use them extensively to fix minor
breaks, cracks, and chips in teeth. It is often preferable to use
veneers over other procedures like dental crowns because veneers only
require a small portion of your enamel to be removed. Veneers are also
used for cosmetic fixes like making your teeth whiter, straightening
them, and correcting minor bite and placement issues.