The defects behind your teeth impede a great smile. Dental veneers give you the look and confidence that you desire. Veneers are attached to the front part of the teeth to conceal any defects and afford you that smile. The thin tooth-shaped attachments take all the characteristics of natural teeth.
Before rushing to get one, it is best to ask yourself whether you are a suitable patient for dental veneers. The procedure of installing veneers involves other procedures, such as examining the health of your teeth and gums. If found out that there is an existing condition, you must first undergo treatment to avoid continued deterioration.
Getting dental veneers installed requires the expert permanent chipping of enamel from the sides of your teeth. You can alter the shape of your teeth to your likeness. Veneers are appealing to enthusiasts of quick-fix solutions. If you do not want your tooth to be drilled, or prepared in other ways, then veneers provide quick ways of solving discoloration and misalignment.
Types of Dental Veneers
There are five types of veneers: composite, porcelain, Palatal, Lumineers, and Removable veneers. Porcelain Veneers are commonly used in AZ to seal substantial gaps in areas you are likely to have a bite load. They are made of ceramic materials and last 10 to 15 years.
Composite resin veneers are ideal for small gaps, are easy to fix, and are less expensive than porcelain. They are made from resin or ceramic materials, which are stain-resistant. They last for 5 to 7 years.
Palatial Veneers are aimed to restore posterior teeth damaged by deep bites, bruxism, and dental erosion. Severe acid and chronic vomiting cause erosion.
Lumineers are super-thin veneers and do not require tooth drilling. They can last for over 20 years though they have a high chance of chipping than the others.
Removable veneers are cheaper and non-permanent. They do not require drilling.
Various reasons trigger the need for dental veneers. However, it varies depending on your specific needs. These needs are collectively classified into two categories: cosmetic and restorative reasons. Here are the usual reasons why people use dental veneers:
Cosmetic Reasons
Cosmetic reasons are an act of aesthetics to beautify your teeth. It involves altering their shape, shade, and size, covering stains, or straightening teeth. Cosmetic procedures typically involve teeth whitening procedures to be in the same shade as the veneers.
You may want to close the gap in your teeth, change the shape and appearance of your tooth, re-align, conceal stain or discoloration, or bond a chipped or cracked tooth. A worn or weak tooth can be protected with a thin veneer.
Restoration Reasons
This involves replacements or repairs to bringing back teeth to their original design or shapes. This is where you have lost teeth through natural erosion, abrasion, grinding, and more. The aim is to keep the original teeth as much as is possible. Dental restoration procedures are expensive.
Whether you are getting dental veneers for cosmetics or restoration purposes, the following reasons play a role either way:
Worn Teeth
Porcelain veneers help reconstruct damaged teeth by covering chips, cracks, and gum recession, making them healthy again. Though our teeth have a high resistance to wear and tear, years of exposure to various food and drinks may eventually have a toll on the teeth.
Attrition may wear out your teeth if you are into the habit of grinding and clenching when stressed or angry. If you have bruxism, you may find yourself grinding your teeth day and night. The effect is chilled or cracked teeth. Additionally, your habit of biting and tearing complex objects with your teeth, for example, opening bottle tops and cutting solid objects with your teeth, may lead to rapid abrasion.
Eroded and Stained Teeth
Teeth may lose their enamel over time through food and drinks containing corrosive acids, such as candy and sour foods. When that happens, your teeth start to get discolored. Discoloration occurs when the eroded enamel gives way to darker dentin.
If you have been into whitening your teeth and suddenly find that they no longer respond, you may need to consider dental veneers. Porcelain helps solve the problem of stains, but first, your dentist has to consider possibilities of tooth decay, gum disease, and teeth grinding.
Adjusting Crooked, Misaligned Teeth
Sometimes nature dictates the alignment of your teeth. It is not uncommon to get someone with teeth that appears crooked or too small. Misaligned teeth are harder to keep clean. If our teeth are overlapping, that is a recipe for cavities. Dental veneers solve this issue and help set teeth in symmetrical order. Furthermore, through veneers, all the teeth can be rearranged and sized to appear to complement each other.
Filling Gaps
Sometimes teeth are spaced unevenly, making it difficult to flash a killing smile. Gaps can cause tooth decay because they are challenging to clean, and food habits stick to the gaps. Tartar and plaque quickly build up and eventually cause gum disease. Ordinarily, orthodontics needs to move teeth, but because of the lengthy procedures, veneers can instantly solve the issue. Veneers replace gaps and make brushing easier.
Strengthen Weak Tooth
Dental veneers fortify and reinforce a weak tooth and, in effect, prolongs its lifespan. Dental veneers protect the already worn-out enamel and prevent additional wear and decay. Veneers also prevent the discomfort that you encounter wherever you take cold or hot beverages by offering a protective cover around the tooth.
Advantages of Using Dental Veneers
Natural Looking
Dental veneers are thin and hardly noticeable. As such, you can neither spot nor feel the difference as it matches the existing teeth.
Simplistic and Quick Process
Installing veneers does not take much of your time and does not require lengthy procedures. You do not require anesthesia for this procedure. With a busy work schedule and other pertinent issues to attend to, you may be appealed to by the idea.
Easy Cleaning and Maintenance
A simple brush and floss are all it takes to clean because the thin shell is bonded on top of your teeth. Maintenance follows the routine of natural teeth. Regular dental visits are also recommended.
Durability
Dental veneers last for several years, thus giving you peace of mind. With intense care like that of your natural teeth, you can smile with them for up to 15 years. Nevertheless, to achieve this extended lifespan, you need to take extra care of veneers. For example, do not bite on or chew complex objects and never use your teeth to open packages.
In addition, avoid grinding or clenching your teeth. You may also need a mouth guard during reporting activities.
Disadvantages of Using Dental Veneers
Does not Change Colour
Unlike natural teeth, dental veneers do not respond to food, beverages, or smoking. The setback here is that your regular teeth change color over time while veneers son not and leads to mismatch. The problem can be addressed through regular dental visits.
Cracking and Chipping
Although the lifespan of veneers is 15 years, bad habits such as biting hard objects can cause them to crack and chip.
Irreversible
Dentures are irreversible because a dentist must remove a bit of enamel to fit the veneers. The tooth might respond to sensitive cold and hot drinks because the veneer is so thin that it cannot offer adequate protection. Unlike crowns and dental bridges, veneers have a much shorter lifespan.
Side Effects
These are risks associated with the procedure of installing veneers, but if well managed, the side effects can be avoided. Side effects include loss of tooth sensitivity in the first three weeks. Nerves may get damaged or the whole tooth during enamel removal and, in extremes, jaw pain.
Wrapping it Up
In this article, we delved into the reasons that might draw you to use dental veneers. We ask whether veneers are right for you. That is a question best answered through your experience of using them. However, if you are not a candidate, you may consider options of teeth whitening, dental implants, dental bonding, and crown or bridges.
Nevertheless, talk to a licensed dentist in AZ and find ways of getting your desired smile. At Imagine Dental, a team of experienced orthodontics is at hand to give you an exceptional experience of bringing back your smile. Located in Ahwatukee & Phoenix, Imagine Dental is appropriately licensed and takes pride in years of experience and affordable services offered through qualified and well-trained staff.
