Cosmetic dentistry has become common practice, as more and more men and women across the country are looking for ways to improve their smile. There are a number of procedures used for improving the look of your teeth, but for now, let's focus on veneers.
What are veneers?
Choosing veneers for your new look will dramatically transform your smile. Veneers are very thin shells of material that are bonded to your teeth to protect the surface of your teeth and/or to cover many types of imperfections. …show more content…
(Somewhat like acrylic nails being glued to your fingernails.) The process of applying porcelain veneers to your teeth may take two or more visits to your dental office. To begin the process, a mold is taken of your teeth. These impressions will enable your veneers to be made to the desired size and shape for your facial structure.
Your veneers are created in a dental lab. Since your dentist will be adding material to your teeth, your natural teeth will be prepared for the veneers by being buffed down very slightly to allow for the thickness of the additional material. When this is completed, your dentist will carefully place the porcelain veneers on your teeth and make sure that the fit is correct. Your dentist will work with you to decide what shade and color best matches your skin tone, and once the color is just right, your veneers will be cemented on. A light beam is used to bond the cement to your teeth and make your new veneers permanent. If a porcelain veneer gets chipped, it may have to be replaced. Porcelain veneers typically do not stain or lose color and last 10 to 20 …show more content…
As with the porcelain veneers, your teeth will be buffed slightly to allow room for the new material. Your dentist will help you choose the color of composite material that is right for your skin, eye and hair tones. The professionals at your dental office will sculpt the material carefully to form more uniform, natural and beautiful looking teeth. A special light is used to permanently bond the material to your teeth. Finally, the veneer is polished and smoothed and off you go with your new smile! Composite veneers can usually be repaired in the same way your natural teeth would be repaired, but they may need to be replaced every few