All About Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are used for covering worn chips and cracks in the tooth, worn out enamel and uneven tooth spacing or alignment. Made of ceramic material, veneers are custom-designed to create shapely, perfectly aligned teeth, which results to a sparkling white smile. The material of dental veneers has improved greatly over the years an today, veneers are more translucent, which makes teeth look more natural.

Veneers can solve most cosmetic dental problems that make teeth look unattractive. Dental veneers can fix uneven teeth, which is a result of general wear and tear of teeth or constant tooth grinding. Patients born with abnormal teeth spacing can benefit from getting dental veneers as well. Veneers can also fix worn tooth enamel, which becomes worn, dull and discolored as one ages. Smokers and those who have regular caffeine consumption are advised to get dental veneers to brighten their smiles.

Composite resin veneers and porcelain veneers

These are the two commonly used materials in making dental veneers. If you want veneers that can be fabricated directly inside your mouth during your dental visit, the dental technician will use ones that are made of composite resin. In contrast, porcelain veneers have to be created in a dental laboratory. It is more expensive than composite resin veneers, but it is also more lasting.

Alternative to teeth whitening?

Usually, dentists will recommend teeth whitening to patients who only have mild teeth discoloration. If your natural teeth are still functional and the overall appearance is still adequate, your dentist would not suggest veneers immediately. However, if your teeth is not properly aligned, has irregular spacing or cracks and chips, then dental veneers is a practical solution. The procedure involves preparing shaped shells that will be fitted on your teeth, thus altering its shape and appearance permanently. Dental veneers can change not only the appearance of your teeth but possibly the whole face as well. Although it is a lot more expensive then teeth whitening, veneers will last through the years.

Aside from the aesthetic benefits, dental veneers also have other dental health benefits. It provides full protection for the surface of damaged tooth and can serve as an alternative to dental crowns.

Although dental veneers are durable, care must be taken to make sure you don’t break or damage them. Also, your dentist may prohibit you from eating certain foods and recommend protective teeth gear.

Minimal and No-Prep Veneers

There are patients who want to get the benefits of dental veneers but do not want to get the traditional ones. For this case, dentists recommend minimal or no-prep veneers, which do not usually require them to cut or grind the tooth before placement. Like traditional veneers, minimal or no-prep ones are attached to the front surface of the teeth. Also, there are cases where dentists do not need to administer local anesthetic to patients if they are availing of minimal or no-prep veneers.

Usually, dentists have to remove the tooth structure when placing traditional veneers. But now, there are ceramic veneers that can be attached in the tooth enamel that requires minimal invasion or no preparation. This also eliminates the need for local anesthetics, depending on the sensitivity level of the patient.

Depending on the position and condition of the teeth, there are some patients of minimal preparation veneer procedure who are required to undergo tooth modifications. These modifications affect only the enamel layer and will not penetrate the dentin.

Patients who can get minimal or no-prep dental veneers are those with cracked, chipped or slightly stained teeth. Teeth that have gaps, spaces or are slightly misaligned can also benefit from this type of veneers. Worn or small teeth are also conditions that will need the treatment.

Options

The most popular minimal or no-prep veneers in the market include Lumineers, Durathin and Vivaneers. These brands promise fast, minimally invasive and painless treatments, which make it appealing to patients.

But these are not the only options available for patients with the above conditions. Patients with severely misaligned teeth are often recommended to get clear aligners or braces. Another alternative is composite bonding, where dentists directly create veneers inside the mouth.

Before treatment, your dentist will conduct a thorough examination to make sure that the condition of your teeth is suitable enough. If the dentist thinks that the teeth only need slight fixing, he may recommend composite bonding instead, which is faster to make and costs less than veneers.

Insurance coverage

Standard dental insurance does not usually cover cosmetic dentistry treatments such as cosmetic veneers, which are elective and not considered necessary dental health treatments. However, there are dentists who offer payment and financing plans that can make it such treatments more affordable for you. To be sure, consult with your dentist about your options which can be covered with insurance.

Dental Veneers: Procedure and Costs

Admittedly, dental veneers are expensive, but most patients do not hesitate to pay more money to have a beautiful, dazzling smile. Veneers are used to fix chips and cracks, abnormal spacing, uneven tooth alignment and worn tooth enamel. There are several factors which determine the cost of getting dental veneers. First, you have to consider the professional fees of the cosmetic dentist and the ceramist who will create the veneers, the material used and number of teeth that will be applied with veneers. You also have to think about the location of the clinic where the procedure will be performed and the type of dental insurance you have, because majority of them do not cover costs of cosmetic dentistry procedures.

Patients can choose between two types of dental veneers, the porcelain veneer and the composite veneer. Composite veneers are more inexpensive than porcelain ones and can cost from $250 to $1,500 per tooth. They will last up to seven years. Porcelain veneers range from $900 to $2,500 per tooth and can last up to 15 years. If you are after longevity and durability, then you should choose porcelain veneers. Since dental veneers cost a lot of money, a lot of dentists offer payment plans for veneers and other cosmetic procedures. Make sure to ask your dentist about payment options available.

How it is done

A standard dental veneer procedure will take at least two dental visits to complete. Expect each visit to be comprehensive, with long hours spent on tooth preparation and examination. This may be uncomfortable for you, but a lot dental offices offer perks such as sedation dentistry, aromatherapy and massages to ease patient discomfort. You can consult a dental spa if you are normally anxious during dentil procedures. During your first visit, your dentist will go over every oral health concern that you should be aware of before treatment starts. Your dentist will provide a special shade chart where you can choose the best tooth color for you. You will also get to see before and after images with the help of imaging technologies and pictures of other patients who have undergone the same procedure.

After thorough examination, you will undergo several treatment steps. Your dentist will put you on a local anesthetic to make you as comfortable as possible during the procedure. Your tooth will then be reshaped lightly to make the veneers fit perfectly. Your dentist will use a bur, a small handheld device that cuts the tooth for precise shaping.

After the reshaping, your dentist will make a mold of your mouth, which will be sent to a dental laboratory where your veneers will be made. Some dentists have an in-house dental lab and CAD/CAM technology, which can speed up the process of creating the veneers. If your veneers will be made in an outside lab, your dentist may attach temporary veneers during your first visit. This will give you an idea of how your permanent veneers will look and feel like. You can ask your dentist for temporary veneers if you want to get some “practice” before your permanent ones are placed. They will be removed during your second visit and replaced with final ones.

After the placement of your dental veneers, your dentist will advise you about proper care and maintenance. Although veneers are very durable, their longevity will still depend on how you take care of them.

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