Teeth Veneers Present a New You to The World of Dental Veneers

When it comes to teeth veneers your dentist says your teeth are sound but they show the wear and tear of a lifetime of use or abuse. Or perhaps there is an unsightly gap you want to narrow, or there is a crack that needs repair. Any of these can be addressed by having your dentist look at the necessary work needed.

What is involved in this process? Veneers are thin covers that are bonded to your existing tooth, presenting a new face to the world and repairing minor damage to a tooth’s function.

There are two primary materials from which veneers are made: porcelain and resin. Porcelain is more resistant to staining, requires less tooth enamel be removed prior to placement and bonding and is a more convincing imitation of natural tooth enamel. However resin is fast, durable, and is often a good choice in its own right, especially for areas that are not highly visible.

The first thing that is done is preparing the tooth. A very thin layer of enamel is removed — approximately as much as the veneer will replace. A cast is made, and a veneer is made from the cast. On the day of the fitting the tooth will be cleaned and the enamel roughened to receive the cement that will secure the coating.

The veneer is given a final fitting to ensure a perfect fit, the cement on the veneer itself is exposed to a light that will trigger hardening agents in the cement, and then the veneer is applied.

When you give your teeth veneers the result will not be identical to the original tooth enamel, in good ways and less good. The damage or poor appearance the veneer is intended to repair will be repaired, but the teeth may be left more sensitive to hot and cold, more easily stained (especially if you use resin veneers) and slightly more fragile than the original tooth material. However it can provide a very satisfactory solution, half way between resin bonding and crowns.

The care of your veneers will be the same as that you always used for your teeth. They require no additional care or maintenance. However if they are damaged they cannot simply be repaired, but must be removed and replaced the repair is not simple to undo.

It is, however, durable and in most instances when respected and treated with the same care you would give your own teeth they will serve for a lifetime. Getting your teeth veneers can provide you with a bright, even smile, can deal with chips and cracks, and can reshape a pitted or ill-formed tooth.

Learn more about veneers from a professional who makes them.