What Are Dental Veneers?
Porcelain veneers cover the visible surfaces of the teeth that show when you smile. They’re made from durable materials that closely imitate the strength and appearance of healthy, white tooth enamel.
Cosmetic dental issues make it hard to smile in photos with loved ones or speak confidently in professional settings. Our completely custom-crafted dental veneers in Forestville can give you a dream smile that looks completely natural.
Because of their thinness, light can shine through the veneers and take on the natural color of your underlying tooth. We offer two types of veneers: traditional porcelain and in-office CEREC same-day veneers.
This highly effective cosmetic dentistry treatment can boost your confidence, mask many types of damage, and help other restorations like dental crowns, bridges, and dental implants blend in seamlessly. If you want a whiter, straighter smile, veneers are one way to achieve that goal and give you the smile makeover you’ve always dreamed of.
How Do Veneers Work?
A cosmetic dentist crafts veneer teeth from a very thin layer of ceramic that closely matches your natural tooth color.
Despite their shell-like delicacy, veneers are durable, stain-resistant, and long-lasting when properly bonded to your tooth’s surface. People who get veneers are often surprised to find just how natural they look while providing a white, straight, clean and attractive smile.
Veneers are not a solution for more in-depth or severe dental issues like tooth decay, a broken tooth or cracked teeth, or teeth that need significant repositioning or reshaping.
They simply even out and cover up surface issues that can appear on otherwise healthy teeth. That said, they offer a simple, straightforward and versatile fix for several common cosmetic problems, like small gaps, stains, and oddly-shaped teeth.
What Is the Process of Getting Veneers?
Although getting porcelain veneers is a multi-step process, we make it as convenient and straight-forward as possible.
Step 1: Your Personalized Veneers Consultation
First, Dr. Grados will assess and diagnose any dental or oral problems that may be leading you to consider veneers. We always keep the whole patient in mind and are focused on getting you the right treatment, whether that’s cosmetic or restorative dental work.
Step 2: Preparing Your Teeth
If veneers are the right choice for you, we’ll prepare your teeth by gently buffing away a very small amount of enamel to make space for the veneer. Even though they are very thin, this slight reshaping prevents the veneer from appearing too bulky and ensures a natural look, while also preparing them for good dental bonding with the porcelain.
Step 3: Crafting and Placing Your Veneer Teeth
At this point, the process differs depending on how your veneers are being made.
With traditional porcelain veneers, we will take impressions of your teeth to send to a dental lab. Our talented lab partner will craft your veneers to meet our exacting standards. The fabrication process often takes one or two weeks. We’ll place temporary veneers in the meantime to keep the teeth protected and allow you to eat and drink normally.
When your final restorations are ready, you’ll return to have them permanently attached. If needed, we can slightly adjust the shade at this point by tinting the cement used in bonding to the exact color that will best match your natural tooth and surrounding teeth.
Once the cement is applied, the veneer is placed, and we use a visible light laser beam to harden and set the cement in place.
For CEREC same-day veneers, the process is a little different.
What Is the Process of Getting Same-Day Veneers?
If same-day veneers are right for you, we’ll create them right in our office with our CEREC system. This streamlined system uses computer-assisted design and manufacturing technology to create advanced dental restorations, including veneers as well as crowns.
In this process, we scan your prepared teeth using digital imaging, and create a 3D, adjustable model from which to make the veneers.
The CEREC system mills veneers from a tough, durable, yet lightweight ceramic material that will fit your teeth perfectly. The shade of the ceramic can also be customized to exactly match your desired tooth color.
The final step involves placing the veneers onto your teeth. Dr. Grados will carefully check the fit and color of the veneers before bonding to be sure they are exactly what your smile needs.
How to Take Care of Dental Veneers
As with your regular teeth, you should take good care of veneers. They typically have a lifetime of 10 to 15 years with good care, although that time frame can shorten significantly if you neglect your teeth or if you’re too rough on them, such as biting into foods that are too hard or sticky.
We recommend daily brushing, flossing and keeping up with regular professional dental cleanings and exams. We recommend a non abrasive toothpaste to keep the porcelain in good shape and protect the glaze.
We’ll give you detailed instructions for how to get the most out of your veneer teeth.
Veneers are resistant to staining from coffee, tea, tobacco and other common discoloring agents, but to keep them looking white and clean for years to come, it’s best to avoid things that may stain your teeth or the porcelain of the veneers.
If you have any questions about veneers or other cosmetic dentistry treatments that might help you, get in touch with our expert team at Forestville Family Dentistry!
