Every time you see a celebrity’s perfectly aligned, pearly whites, you might wonder, a tad enviously: ‘How can I get such a dazzling smile?’
At Hawthorn East Dental, we’ve seen firsthand the confidence, self-esteem and personal satisfaction dental veneers can restore within a person. The truth is that these simple, custom, shells, bonded to your teeth, have the ability to change your smile and your outlook on life.
You can think about dental veneers like custom-made ‘shells’ that cover the surface of your teeth, bonded to them like a ‘cap’ that rests on an individual tooth. This means they can potentially cover up any gaps, cracked, chipped or broken teeth, as well as stained and discoloured teeth.
Though the history of veneers began in the 1920s, with a California dentist using acrylic caps for Hollywood patients, the modern-day porcelain and resin veneers we know today were perfected in the 1980s, with the general public able to afford a cosmetic fix for their uneven smiles.
Before you consider dental veneers as a viable option, learn all you can about them. This post aims to educate you on 5 important aspects to dental veneers so you can make the best decision for your smile.
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Dental Veneers May Be Suitable for You
If you are experiencing any of the following, dental veneers might be for you:
- Broken, chipped or cracked teeth
- Discoloured or severely stained teeth
- A smile with large gaps
However, sometimes, patients come with such severely misshapen, malformed or weakened teeth that veneers are not only not going to improve them, chipping away at the tooth’s enamel to bond the veneers is not an advisable option.
That’s why you’ll first need to get a consult to determine whether your teeth are eligible for this option.
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The Application of Veneers Differs
There are two types of applications or materials that veneers are made from: porcelain and composite resin.
Porcelain is a more popular choice because it’s crafted of a durable material that won’t change colour or stain over time. However, composite resin veneers are a more affordable option.
Porcelain veneers require at least two dental visits: in the first, your dental team will remove a thin layer of the enamel in order to make room for the veneer. Obviously, you’ll be given some local anesthetic. Then, the dentist takes a mould of your teeth for a truly custom-fit veneer.
While your custom veneers are being made, your dentist may give you temporary veneers. However, during your second visit, the custom veneers are bonded to your teeth with dental cement.
Resin veneers usually can be bonded in just one visit. The dentist applies a chemical to the teeth so the resin adheres better. Then, the correct colour resin is chosen to match the natural colour of your teeth. The resin is applied in layers and a bright light hardens the resin. Once the final layer is applied, the dentist then shapes and polishes each tooth for a shiny, smooth and natural final result.
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Basic Dental Habits Are Enough
The whole point of dental veneers…is that they look and feel exactly like your teeth, only better!
So the maintenance should be comparable — and it is. Dental veneers are not high-maintenance and only need a little more care than your natural teeth, especially right after application.
For example, post application, avoid eating any hard foods like nuts or cookies. Avoid extremely cold things like ice and ice cream as well. Give your new veneers time to settle in because, if a porcelain veneer cracks, it will need a complete replacement.
Once it’s been a few days, continue with regular dental care like brushing, flossing and routine check-ups to monitor the state of your veneers.
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Veneers Can Be Used to Correct Minor Misalignments
Often, people choose porcelain or resin veneers to straighten their smile and address minor misalignments of the teeth. Sometimes, using braces or opting for orthodontic treatment may be unavoidable for gaps or crooked teeth. However, veneers can be custom-fitted to correct these issues when they are minor.
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Yes, You Can Avoid ‘Chicklet’ Teeth
It’s a testament to the aesthetic and technological advances in dental care that dentists can today give their patients a completely flawless but natural smile instead of that artificial ‘chicklet’ smile we’re all afraid veneers spell.
This is when teeth are too straight, too white and even too big! They simply don’t match your natural teeth or your natural smile and the result is artificial at best and completely misshapen at worst.
The point is not to make your teeth look ‘perfect’ but to make them look natural. This means that a dentist may not choose the whitest shade when custom-creating your veneers. Instead, they may choose a shade just one or two shades lighter so that it’s more natural and fits in with the gradient of white your teeth would be, were they to be whitened.
The professional team at Hawthorn East Dental have brought back the smile of hundreds of our patients using the benefits of dental veneers. Dental veneers are the perfect solution for teeth whitening, sensitivity, misalignments, broken, chipped or cracked teeth and more.
These easy-to-care-for, easy-to-apply options are not for everyone, however, so we encourage you to make an appointment with our team today and find out if dental veneers are the right fit for you.
