Veneers
An attractive smile can have a considerable impact on your appearance and self-esteem. A dental veneer secured on top of your teeth can help correct imperfections made by nature or an injury and allow you to have a flawless smile. Dental veneers can be life-changing.
What are Dental Veneers?
Veneers are dental restorations that can help enhance your appearance. A paper-thin, custom-made layer of tooth-colored composite or porcelain is cemented over the teeth’ front surface to change their shape, color or to hide the unattractive defects, such as the following:
- A veneer can help conceal worn down tooth enamel, badly stained teeth.
- It can help close the gaps between the teeth.
- The irregular-shaped or uneven tooth alignment can be hidden with the help of Veneers.
- Defects such as chipped, cracked, or cracked teeth can be covered.
- Teeth discolorations either because of root canal treatment, stains from tetracycline or other drugs, excessive fluoride, or other causes can be rectified by Veneers.
What is the procedure for Dental Veneers?
The complete Veneer treatment can be accomplished in two or three dental visits. During your first appointment, your dentist will coordinate with you to pick the best tooth color from a specially prepared shade chart. With the help of special imaging technologies, a preview of your expected results can be obtained. The treatment begins after the examination, and a customized plan is designed for you. The next step involves preparing the tooth, which is minimally reshaped to provide the best fit. Approximately about 0.5mm of enamel will be removed from the tooth surface by your dentist in order to prepare for the veneer. A local anesthetic may be employed to numb the area before the trimming of the enamel. Then a mold or impression of the prepared tooth is taken and sent to a dental lab for its manufacture. If required, temporary veneers can be placed while you wait for the permanent one.
During the veneer placement appointment, the dentist will remove the temporary veneers and attach the permanent ones. The veneer will be checked for its exact fit and color before the dental veneer is permanently attached to your tooth. The veneers may be further trimmed to achieve the perfect fit. Next, the tooth is cleaned, polished, and etched in order to roughen the tooth’s surface to allow for an intense bonding process. The veneer is placed after special cement is applied to it before being secured onto the tooth. Once correctly placed, your dentist will use a special laser beam on the dental veneer in order to activate chemicals present in the cement, causing it to harden very quickly.
The ultimate steps include removing any excess cement, evaluating your bite, and making any final adjustments in the veneer if required. To check how your gums are reacting to the presence of your veneer and to once again examine the veneer’s placement, your dentist may ask you to return for a follow-up visit in a couple of weeks.
Call Pacific Highway Dental at 253.529.9434 or schedule an online appointment to know more about Veneers.