Dental VeneersDental veneers can change your smile dramatically by redesigning your mouth and putting an end to the embarrassment that many oral problems can cause. Veneers can conceal multiple dental flaws while giving the impression that your teeth are totally natural, blending seamlessly to give you a stunning smile.

People with an uneven gum line can also benefit from veneers, which can create a neater appearance, more in proportion with the teeth. Furthermore, veneers can correct cosmetic issues arising from teeth overcrowding or gaps and reshape teeth to make them look longer or squarer.

Veneers can resolve a host of unsightly dental defects like these to create a beautiful smile that will boost your self-confidence. Veneers can give you the Hollywood smile of your dreams, particularly by overcoming issues such as:

  • Discoloration and staining.
  • Chipped or cracked teeth.

What Are Dental Veneers?

Veneers1 are customized, tooth-colored, wafer-thin shells that are attached to the front of teeth to enhance your smile by masking problems such as discoloration or cracks, or closing gaps between teeth. They also protect the surface of the tooth.

Veneers are more resistant to staining than natural teeth and need no special oral hygiene routine, although a non-abrasive toothpaste is recommended to avoid damage to the shells.

Modern veneers are typically made from porcelain to closely resemble dental enamel. Technological advances have created veneers that look extremely natural, and their translucent properties enable them to interact with light in the same way as tooth enamel.

Compared with composite veneers, porcelain veneers – made from medical-grade ceramic material – have the added benefit of being more durable and less susceptible to staining. Porcelain is also tolerated well by the gums.

Advantages of Veneers if You Have Stained Teeth

Your teeth take on a yellow appearance as you get older – it’s part of the natural aging process. This happens when the enamel – the outer layer of a tooth – gets thinner and more of the darker dentin beneath it is revealed.

Teeth can also easily become stained from factors such as poor oral hygiene, tobacco use, acidic foods, or drinks containing tannins – coffee, tea and red wine, for instance.

Professional teeth whitening can get rid of superficial stains temporarily but it’s not a permanent fix – whitened teeth can quickly get stained again.

Veneers provide a long-lasting solution to mask discoloration and staining and are themselves stain-resistant – your smile will look just as good decades after treatment.

The best smile makeover may be achieved with a combination of whitening and veneers – veneers for your more visible front teeth, and whitening of surrounding teeth to create a uniform look.

Veneers to Fix the Problem of Damaged Enamel

Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in your body. This shiny covering that protects the rest of a tooth’s structure is even stronger than bone, with a very high mineral content to make it durable.

However, enamel can still sustain damage like chipping and cracks – and this damage will be permanent. While the body has a built-in ability to heal itself, it can't regrow enamel, because it contains no living cells, which regenerate naturally.

Dental bonding – attaching a composite resin to the surface of a tooth – can be a quick fix for chipped teeth but, like whitening treatment, won’t last forever and is susceptible to staining. Nor can bonding address the problem of vertical fractures in a tooth.

Veneers provide a more protective structure, covering the whole tooth and shielding its nerves.

Why Hollywood Stars Choose Veneers

Veneers are in the vanguard of the development of cutting-edge procedures that are breaking new ground in cosmetic dentistry.

Veneers are often the cosmetic treatment of choice for celebrities – including Tom Cruise, Jennifer Garner, Emily Blunt, and Demi Moore – because dramatic results can be achieved quickly.

In fact, the original dental veneers – acrylic caps that only stayed in place a few hours – were made by Californian dentist Charles Pincus in 1928 for a Hollywood movie shoot.

Veneers have evolved continuously since then, becoming easier for dentists to fit – with far better bonding agents – and therefore less costly, which has made them a popular mainstream option in cosmetic dentistry today.

The Dental Veneer Process

Dental veneers are the least invasive cosmetic dental treatment and can be fitted without anesthesia or with a local anesthetic.

The procedure doesn’t require as much reshaping of a tooth as getting a crown. In fact, some modern dental veneers are so thin that the surface of the tooth doesn’t have to be trimmed back at all.

Over the past few decades, advances in dental technology have created veneers that look increasingly natural, and digital imaging enables the production of veneers that are as near a perfect match to your own teeth as possible.

The process of getting dental veneers entails:

  • Preliminary consultation.
  • Preparation of the teeth and taking impressions to make the veneers.
  • Fixing the veneers to your teeth.

Pros and Cons of Dental Veneers

Veneers can be used in combination with other cosmetic dental treatments to create striking results. On the downside, the color of veneers cannot be changed after they’ve been bonded into place. If you want to get your teeth whitened, do it before getting veneers.

Dental veneers can in some cases make teeth more sensitive to hot and cold drinks and foods, and veneer-covered teeth can still decay, possibly requiring the fitting of a crown.

Although veneers are tough, they can be damaged by habits such as fingernail-biting or chewing on ice or pencils. Veneers are typically more expensive than some other cosmetic dental procedures but many people see them as a solid investment to improve their appearance with an awesome smile that restores their self-confidence.

Are Veneers Right for Me?

If your teeth are showing signs of having seen better days but are basically healthy – chipped or stained, for example – veneers could be the solution to give you a smile to be proud of, although they may not be the best option if you tend to grind or clench your teeth.  If you have any more questions about veneers please visit Coer d'Alene Dental Center. 

As well as changing your smile into a Tinseltown twinkle, veneers will also protect your teeth from damage, and they can be combined with other treatments to create comprehensive cosmetic results.

Key benefits of dental veneers include:

  • Individually made for you.
  • Can be fitted with little or no anesthetic.
  • Very natural appearance.
  • Stain resistance.
  • Making your teeth look more in proportion with an irregular gum line.
  • Correcting teeth gaps or crowding.
  • Restructuring teeth to making them appear longer or squarer.
  • Protecting the tooth surface from further damage.

A dental office experienced in cosmetic dentistry can help you decide whether veneers are right for you. Come to Fine Dentistry of Downtown Orlando and schedule your consultation2 with our cosmetic dentist and get the smile you have always wanted!

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