Terri Ramsey Beavers Smiling stimulates the release of endorphins in your body, making you feel happier, more positive, and may help you form better relationships. However, dental imperfections such as gaps and discoloration may make you shy away from smiling and exposing your teeth. This may affect your social, work-life, and general productivity. With modern dentistry, you can improve the condition of your teeth by seeing your dental specialist, Lauren Izadi DDS, for veneer fitting.
What are veneers?
Dental veneers are very thin coverings made from porcelain material or composite resin. Your dentist may use tooth coverings to fix various dental problems, including:
- Teeth misalignment.
- A broken or chipped tooth.
- Stained or discolored teeth.
- Gaps or spaces between your teeth.
- Worn out teeth.
Benefits of dental veneers
- Veneers fix multiple teeth imperfections simultaneously.
- Dental veneers prevent staining of your natural teeth’ surface.
- Tooth caps require low maintenance, brushing and flossing your teeth every day.
- Boosts your confidence and improves your dental outlook.
- Improves your oral hygiene
Process for installing veneers
Getting dental veneers will require three visits to your dentist. During the first session, your specialist will check if you are a good candidate for tooth coverings by examining your teeth to ensure:
- You do not have an underlying dental problem such as tooth decay.
- Your gums are healthy.
Your dentist will discuss with you the downsides of installing tooth veneers, including:
- The process is irreversible.
- Veneers may chip or break.
During the second visit, your doctor will get a small amount of enamel from your tooth’s surface to create room for veneers for your teeth to look natural.
Your dentist will make a mold of your teeth and end the impression to the lab, where your veneers will be custom-made to fit your teeth perfectly. This may take up to seven days.
As you wait for your permanent veneers, your dentist may send you home with temporary veneers.
Your dentist will clean and polish your tooth’s surface to prevent dirt and bacteria from getting trapped below dental veneers.
To install tooth coverings, your dentist will etch the surface of your tooth. Etching provides a rough surface that facilitates the bonding of veneers.
Your specialist will apply dental cement on your tooth’s surface and gently place the veneer, and may use a special beam of light to dry out the cement.
After installing the veneers, your dentist may remove excess cement and polish the surface of your tooth.
Care guidelines for veneers
Dental veneers may last for 10-15 years, depending on how you care for them. Several care instructions after getting veneers may include:
- Avoid chewing hard foods such as ice since this may cause your veneers to break.
- Brush your teeth two times a day and floss after eating.
- Wear a mouthguard during the night, especially if you clench or grind your teeth to prevent your veneers from wearing out.
- Limit your intake of drinks such as coffee and red wine because this may stain your natural teeth and cause a mismatch.
- Visit your dentist after every six months for maintenance of healthy gums and teeth.
Schedule a date with your dentist at West End Dental to get veneers for a more attractive and symmetrical smile.