Veneers. When you hear the word, many people think of furniture at Ikea, where expensive-looking veneers cover less expensive wood forming the foundation of the dresser or coffee table beneath.
But dental veneers, while they don’t come with illustrated construction plans like Ikea, are just as smart for your teeth.
Veneers are very thin, porcelain or composite shells that the team at Gentle Dental overlays onto your teeth. Veneers cover surface damage and make your teeth look beautiful.
What kinds of issues can veneers cover/correct?
Veneers can be used to cover severely stained or discolored teeth. For instance, if you’ve had tetracycline as a kid, your teeth may be permanently stained. Or your teeth may have chips or other cosmetic flaws. Veneers can make them look perfect instead. They can also be used to correct misshapen or slightly crooked teeth. Here’s a list of what veneers can correct:
• Discolored teeth
• Teeth that are overly worn down
• Teeth that are chipped or broken
• Misaligned teeth
• Uneven teeth
• Irregular-shaped teeth
• Gaps between teeth
But remember, they are simply covering the problem. So, those underlying problems need to be cosmetic. Serious problems such as decay or tooth crowding and the like need to be addressed before veneers can be placed atop those teeth.
Putting on the Ritz for the teeth
To give your teeth the glamour treatment of veneers takes two visits to Gentle Dental. On the first visit, we numb the areas involved with the teeth we are going to cover with veneers. Then, we remove about ½ millimeter of the enamel from each tooth to receive a veneer. This basically is the width of the veneer. Next, we take impressions of your teeth with the enamel shaved off. These impressions are sent to the lab to create your veneers. It usually takes a week or two for them to be fabricated. In the interim, we provide you with temporaries.
Once your veneers arrive, you return to our offices and we check the fit and color match. We’ll make any adjustments needed to get the fit just right. Then we polish your teeth and give them a slight etching to make a better surface for the dental cement to bond to. We then put cement on the veneer and place them one by one on your teeth. The cement is cured with a curing light. We remove any excess cement, make a final check for adhesion, and you’re done!
How will they look?
For most people, their veneers look better than their natural teeth ever did. White, perfectly shaped and aligned, beautiful. Your veneers will last from five to 10 years. At that point, you’ll need to have them replaced.
Interested in veneers for your stained or chipped teeth? Call us at Gentle Dental and set up a consultation, (732) 549-5660.
