Dental Veneers

Veneers are thin covers that are placed over the front of your teeth.

A veneer is a thin cover placed over the front of a tooth to improve its appearance. Veneers are used on teeth with uneven surfaces or are chipped, discolored, oddly shaped, unevenly spaced or crooked.

Veneers are made of either porcelain or composite resin material. They make your teeth look whiter and brighter, straighten crooked teeth and fill in gaps between your teeth.

Most often, veneers are used for cosmetic purposes; however, they may be used to protect a damaged tooth from further injury. Your dentist will discuss your options with you to determine which option is right for you based on the condition of your teeth and your desired outcome.

There are two types of veneers, composite and porcelain.

There are two types of dental veneers: composite and porcelain. Composite veneers are made of resin and only require one visit to the dentist for treatment. They are generally less expensive than porcelain veneers, but won’t last as long on average. Porcelain veneers, made from ceramic material, require more visits to the dentist but have a longer lifespan than their composite counterparts.

Composite veneers can be placed in one office visit.

Composite veneers are a type of resin that is applied directly to the tooth. This resin can be placed in one office visit and polished.

Porcelain veneers require more than one visit as they must be made in a lab.

If you want porcelain veneers, you’ll be making more than one trip to your dentist. To prepare your teeth for veneers, your dentist will begin with a thorough cleaning of the teeth and removal of any plaque. The dentist then files down the front surfaces of your teeth to make room for the thickness of the veneer.

After prepping your teeth, an impression is taken and sent to a lab where a cast is made from it. It’s this cast that gets used by a dental lab technician to make custom-fitted porcelain veneers for each tooth.

If you choose to get veneers, your dentist will remove a little of the enamel from your teeth.

Like many other dental procedures, veneers require preparation. With veneers, though, the prep work helps ensure that your veneer will fit properly. Your dentist will remove a thin layer of enamel from your tooth’s surface to provide room for the shell.

This is only necessary if you’re getting porcelain veneers, which are very thin and therefore require a little extra space. The amount of enamel removed is minimal — just enough to make room for the veneer so that it doesn’t stick out unnaturally.

The dentist will take an impression of your teeth and make a cast.

Your dentist will take an impression of your teeth and make a cast.

Why? The impression is to make sure that the veneer fits your teeth, and the cast helps the dental lab create a veneer that matches both your smile and bite.

This is sent to a lab where the veneers will be made for you.

Veneers are custom made for your teeth, so it takes a couple of visits to get them right. To begin with, we take a mold of your teeth. This is sent to a lab where the veneers will be made for you. It’s important that they fit properly, so we make sure you like the way they look and feel before we go ahead with the treatment.

After the veneer has been created, your dentist will place it on your tooth and make sure that it fits correctly.

Once your permanent veneer has been created, your dentist will place it on your tooth to make sure that it fits correctly. If the fit is not good, the size and shape of your tooth may need to be altered before cementing the veneer in place. Your dentist may remove a small amount of enamel from the surface of the prepared tooth and re-cement the temporary veneer. This is done to make sure that you are satisfied with both the fit and appearance of your new restoration before placing the final restoration.

The temporary veneer is removed, and then your dentist will etch (roughen) the surface of your tooth to facilitate bonding between your tooth and dental veneers. The outer surface of each veneer will also be roughened or etched slightly. Each veneer is carefully placed on its respective tooth with special bonding cement (adhesive). When all four porcelain dental veneers have been properly adhered, a blue light may be used to activate chemicals in the bonding cement, which help harden (cure) it quickly. After this step, each dental veneers will be polished for an even more natural look.

Veneers can help improve the appearance of some teeth issues temporarily.

Evaluating your smile is an important first step in determining if veneers are right for you. While veneers can be a good option for improving the appearance of some teeth issues, they aren’t necessarily the best solution for everyone. Your dentist will conduct a thorough dental exam to determine if you’re a good candidate for veneers, and will also explain how treatment might work for you.

If your dentist recommends veneers to help correct discolored teeth, chipped teeth or teeth with gaps, take some time to think about whether this treatment is right for you. Here are a few questions to consider: