This article provides an overall review of dental veneers. If you would like to speak with a dentist regarding dental veneers in Kingston Ontario, please feel free to contact us to schedule a meeting with one of our team.
WHAT ARE DENTAL VENEERS?
Dental veneers (sometimes called porcelain veneers or dental laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size, or length. They are similar to artificial nails that you place on your fingers for good looks.
WHAT ARE VENEERS MADE OF ?
There are two main types of Dental Veneers:
Porcelain Veneers:
- Porcelain veneers are the most commonly used veneers. They are made from a wafer thin shell of porcelain. It is made in the laboratory and cemented by the dentist to the prepared tooth structure.
Composite Veneers:
- Composite veneers are less commonly used, and typically people resort to them as a less expensive option. They are made directly in the patient’s mouth, using the same material as the tooth colored filling named composite resin. These are not as strong as porcelain veneers, have less depth of colour, and their life expectancy is much shorter.
HOW ARE VENEERS MADE?
The procedure itself is relatively simple. The dentist usually starts with preparing your teeth, making them a little smaller on the outer surface in order to receive the veneer. No need for alarm, as the dentist will only remove about 0.5 mm of the tooth, inflicting nearly no harm to the tooth. The dentist then takes a replica (called an impression) which is then delivered to the laboratory in order to make the veneers from porcelain. Afterwards, the laboratory returns the completed work to the dentist, who treats it with a gel-like material, in order to make the bond with the tooth permanent. The veneers are then cemented on your teeth with a special glue, called resin cement.
Composite veneers are made in a similar manner as a normal tooth colored filling, by using a gel on the tooth structure making it rough, and applying a bonding agent, onto which the composite resin is applied and finished to give the same shine and external appearance as the tooth.
WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR DENTAL VENEERS?
Receiving a veneer is a cosmetic procedure. Who doesn’t want a perfect smile? Applications of veneers are used to deal with a wide array of cosmetic issues including:
- Discoloration of the teeth, either from years of staining from food and drink, or some medications such as Tetracycline.
- Teeth that are chipped or worn down (if there is space within the bite)
- Spacing between the teeth less than 2 millimeters wide
Not everyone can benefit from veneers. People with strong or misaligned bites (such as deep overbite or crossbite) are at risk of breaking the veneers once they’re placed, and so other more durable options are recommended (such as crowns) . Also, people who have very heavily restored teeth with lots of filling material in place are not viable candidates for veneers, due to the lack of sufficient tooth structure to be cemented properly.
HOW LONG DO VENEERS LAST?
With proper care, a finely made dental veneer can last up to 10 or 12 years. You can expect your new pearly veneered whites to last for a long time if you take proper care of them.
WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS OF DENTAL VENEERS?
Dental veneers require removal of a portion of the tooth, and therefore the process cannot be reversed, and in some cases, sensitivity to hot and cold is expected in the beginning that disappears within a few days. They also require the laboratory to chip in, which means can mean waiting before receiving the veneers
HOW DO I TAKE CARE OF MY VENEERS?
Teeth with veneers require normal care, so brushing twice a day and flossing daily is advised. Scheduling your regular dental hygiene visit with your hygienist for scaling and polishing will help prevent stain and calculus (tartar) from building up on the outside of your veneers.
To speak with one of our team about dental veneers in Kingston, Ontario, click the link to setup an appointment with us.