Veneers

Dental veneers are thin durable shells made of tooth-colored materials that are bonded to the surface of a tooth to enhance its appearance.

Dental veneers are the best solution available for people with discolored, worn down, chipped, misaligned, spaced, uneven, or irregularly shaped front teeth.

The preparation of veneers preserves the most amount of tooth structure, as very little needs to be removed. They can improve the appearance of your teeth, and gum tissues respond well to dental veneers. The color can be custom selected, and in the case of porcelain veneers, they are stain-resistant.

Porcelain and composite veneers are the most common veneer materials. Composite veneers are made of resin to enhance the appearance and Porcelain veneers are usually made in a lab and are more resistant to staining.

In the case of porcelain veneers, this is a multistep process. The first step is to get a consultation with your dentist. At this visit, you can outline your goals and concerns, and a prosthodontist will explain how veneers will work for you. X-rays or impressions of your teeth may be needed. The second step is to prepare the tooth for the veneer. A small amount of tooth structure is removed and an impression is made. The dentist will then place temporary veneers. At the next appointment, temporaries are removed, and the final veneer is bonded to your tooth.

In the case of composite veneers, this is a one appointment process in which the dentist will remove a small amount of tooth structure and bond filling material to your teeth. This type of veneer is not as long-lasting and doesn’t resist staining as well as a porcelain veneer.

Typically, a veneer lasts approximately 5-10 years. They do not require any special care other than regular brushing, flossing, and visits to the dentist. If they are properly cared for then they can last much longer. Professional cleanings every 6 months and yearly check-ups are highly recommended.

It is recommended to avoid eating very hard foods. We also recommend avoiding habits such as nail-biting, straw chewing, fork nibbling, opening bags with teeth, pulling on clothing or gloves with teeth, and anything that will put undue stress on the veneers.

There should be no pain during the procedure as patients are numb during the entire process. With smaller cases (two or four veneers) there will be very little or no discomfort after the numbness subsides. Patients should expect some soreness of the gums and possibly the jaw in cases that involve eight or more veneers. The soreness can typically be alleviated with over-the-counter medications.

You can eat most foods but each patient has a different bite. Therefore, we recommend eating softer foods for the first few days until the patient gets used to the new bite position. After several weeks there is no limitation except for certain hard foods.

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