Veneers, what to expect.

What are veneers:
These are just a thin layer of porcelain that gets glued to the front teeth. They are used mostly for cosmetic reasons, when tooth whitening is not enough, or when there are obvious cracks on the teeth, or when they are needed to close a gap between teeth.
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Criteria:
–       They are Translucent, which is important to give a natural appearance, this allows them to transmit light through and reflect off the teeth giving them natural look.
–       Smooth surface, this obviously mean better looks and less catching to dental plaque, which means less staining
–       They are fabricated in one colour and to match the remainder of dentition – if needed – hence you will have one harmonious colour showing through giving you a better smile.
What effect can they have:
1-    Change size of teeth, if you have large teeth, veneers can make them smaller, and vice versa.
2-    Alter shape of teeth, sometimes the shape of teeth is not desirable. Veneers can fix that to some extent.
3-    Change the colour. You might have yellowish teeth, veneers can fix that
4-    Fix chipped teeth.
5-    Close gaps between teeth.
6-    Realign teeth. They can fix minor crockedness in front teeth
7-    Lip enhancement. They might affect the appearance of the lips
8-    Might be the solution to sensitive front teeth.


Where to place them:
Usually they are used to fix the top front six teeth. Less common than that is for the lower front teeth. Sometimes we might use them a bit further than the canine teeth.
How are they made:
Veneers are usually finished in two sessions:
1-    Teeth are trimmed slightly. And an impression is taken
2-    The impression is sent to the lab, where the veneers are constructed.
3-    When the veneers arrive back from the lab, they are cemented in. done.
However nowadays we have the prefabricated veneers which are made of a different material, and those can be finished by one visit.

Conclusion:

Veneers are one of the options of cosmetic dentistry. However once committed, they is no returning back, especially if tooth trimming is required, so make sure you talk to us and understand the benefits and limitations of the procedure. If you are a good candidate for veneers, chances are you will be smiling more, you have been warned!