Are you uncomfortable about your smile? Thanks to cosmetic dentistry, you can enhance your smile with ease. Whether your teeth are stained, cracked, chipped, misaligned, or unevenly shaped, you have several options to consider. Dental crowns, bonding, teeth whitening, veneers, and inlays & onlays are some of the most common procedures to repair damaged teeth.
For minor tooth damage or stains, procedures such as dental inlays & onlays, teeth whitening, and bonding work well. But complex damage such as severe discoloration and broken teeth may benefit more from dental crowns. Your dentist might recommend getting dental veneers if you have average tooth damage.
A veneer is a thin shell-like coating attached to a damaged tooth to repair or cover imperfections. Veneers can solve many dental flaws such as cracked teeth, chips, gaps, minor misalignments, and discoloration. Since the veneer matches the shape and color of the natural tooth, when well placed, they look and feel like natural teeth.
The dentist creates veneers from composite resin or porcelain materials. Porcelain veneers are more stain-resistant and durable than composite veneers. On average, porcelain veneers last for about 10-15 years, while composite veneers last 5-10 years. The lifespan of the veneer can further vary based on factors such as the patient’s dental habits and the location of the treated tooth.
To know whether you can benefit from veneers, you should begin by contacting your dentist for an exam. The dentist will inspect the damaged tooth and work with you to determine which treatment option suits you the best. The dentist will also discuss the treatment, including the veneer’s benefits, risks, costs, and much more.
The dentist will prepare the damaged tooth for the primary procedure at the next meeting. They will shave or trim down a part of the tooth’s enamel. This procedure prevents the tooth from getting bulky or abnormally oversized once the veneer bonds to the tooth. After shaping the tooth, the tooth and mouth impressions are taken and sent to a dental lab to create the veneer. It takes about two weeks.
The dentist might need to place a temporary veneer for protection until the custom veneer is ready. Since the temporary veneer isn’t permanent, you should be careful about your dental habits. For instance, you should avoid hard, sticky, and pigmented foods such as meats, hard candies, crusty bread, berries, coffee, and wine.
Once the veneer is ready, the dentist will remove the temporary veneer. Next, they will test the custom veneer to ensure it’s the right shade, size, and shape. They ensure that the veneer fits perfectly and feels and looks natural. If necessary, the dentist will make adjustments.
If everything is correct, the dentist will prepare the tooth for the bonding procedure. The dentist cleans and roughens the tooth to make the bonding procedure easy and quick. Next, the veneer bonds the tooth with a stronger dental cement. A special dental light quickens the bonding process.
Once the veneer is attached, the dentist removes excess cement and polishes the bonded tooth to provide a natural smile. The dentist might also check your bite, among other things, before sending you home. They might also schedule follow-up appointments to monitor your progress.
After the bonding procedure, the dentist might take a few minutes to guide you on caring for your new smile. Since custom veneer treatments don’t involve surgery, minimal discomfort is expected. Recovery is quick as you can go back to your routine in no time. To care for your veneer and mouth, use these tips:
Are you looking for dental veneer services? Contact Dental Arts of Plymouth today for more information.
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