A bright, white Hollywood smile can boost your confidence and make you feel great. Over time, our natural teeth can stain or become discolored due to food or drink, damage to the teeth, and even genetics. In the past, all options for whitening the teeth were expensive and caused tooth sensitivity – and they were all temporary solutions.
As the field of cosmetic dentistry has evolved, teeth whitening has become one of the most popular treatment options. However, teeth whitening isn’t the best option for everyone. But that doesn’t leave those candidates stuck with discolored teeth. There is another way to get long-lasting, natural-looking white teeth. Porcelain veneers are a quick way to get a permanently white smile.
Porcelain Veneers Explained
Porcelain veneers are a custom-made shell of wafer-thin porcelain that cover the front side of your existing teeth to improve the appearance. The veneer is bonded to the surface of the teeth, permanently changing their color, shape, size, or length. Porcelain veneers look very much like natural teeth and require little upkeep, aside from regular dental cleanings.
Benefits of Porcelain Veneers
There are many reasons why porcelain veneers are an excellent option for creating the perfect smile.
The Most Natural-Looking Solution
Porcelain veneers are the most natural-looking cosmetic dentistry option for those seeking the perfect smile. Because of the light reflecting properties of the porcelain, and with the shape customized to your teeth and mouth, porcelain veneers look identical to natural teeth. Your dental veneers will be matched in color to your natural teeth, making them virtually undetectable to others.
Minimally Invasive Procedure
Getting porcelain veneers is far less invasive than other cosmetic dental procedures, such as dental implants. When it comes to the installation process, your cosmetic dentist will remove around ½ millimeter of tooth enamel from the front surface of your teeth receiving veneers. This is a much smaller amount than is removed in other procedures like a dental crown.
After the enamel has been removed to make room for the veneer, it is placed on the tooth and bonded in place with a special type of cement. Each veneer is placed individually to maintain the most natural look. There is little to no anesthesia needed for the entire procedure, and the results are instantly visible.
Quick Results
As mentioned above, the results from porcelain veneers are instantly visible, and the entire process can be completed in just a few visits to your cosmetic dentist. If you’re interested in porcelain veneers to have a dazzling white smile, you’ll have much less time invested than undergoing professional whitening or using over-the-counter products. It can take several rounds of whitening to reach your desired shade, but porcelain veneers are installed at a brilliant white shade, so you don’t have to worry about using other products.
Porcelain veneers are also a faster alternative to orthodontic treatments like braces. Rather than spend possibly years in braces, you can get porcelain veneers to correct gaps, misalignment, or misshapen teeth. This can save you time, money, and the discomfort associated with metal braces.
Durable and Low-Maintenance
Porcelain veneers are a great cosmetic dental treatment option if you don’t like the idea of lots of maintenance. Once your veneers are in place, you don’t need to do anything else but enjoy your new smile. Porcelain veneers actually resist staining and decay better than natural teeth. With the right care, your veneers will last 10-15 years.
When it comes to maintaining your porcelain veneers, all you need to do is brush twice a day, floss once a day, and keep up with your semi-annual dental cleanings and exams. There are no special tools or separate dental visits required.
Permanently White Teeth
Once you have porcelain veneers, you will have long-lasting white teeth. Porcelain veneers resist staining from habits like drinking coffee and red wine or smoking. You will not need to undergo regular teeth whitening like you would with natural teeth.
Another option is to combine porcelain veneer placement with teeth whitening. Since your porcelain veneers will be made to match the color of your natural teeth, you can choose to have your natural teeth whitened prior to having your veneers placed.
How Veneers Work
Getting porcelain veneers is a simple process, and you will only need just a few visits to the cosmetic dentist before you have a beautiful, natural-looking smile to share with the world.
Initial Consultation
Your first visit will be an initial consultation with your dentist where they will talk without about your concerns and the results you’d like to achieve. During this appointment, you can ask questions about what your treatment plan might include, and you can see before and after pictures of patients with similar cases to yours. The dentist will also examine your teeth to ensure you’re a good candidate for porcelain veneers, and they will take x-rays and make impressions of your teeth.
Smile Design
After your initial consultation, your cosmetic dentist will use the x-rays and dental impressions to work on a digital design of what your final results will look like when your porcelain veneers are installed. They will determine the size, shape, and thickness so your veneers can be custom-made for the best possible fit.
Enamel Removal and Temporary Veneers
Your cosmetic dentist will use the impressions of your teeth to make a temporary veneer. The dentist will then begin removing a small amount of tooth enamel from the surface of your teeth and place the temporary veneer. A final set of impressions will be made, and then the permanent porcelain veneers will be ordered from a dental lab.
Permanent Veneer Placement
After the veneers come in from the dental lab, you will come in for your permanent placement. The temporary veneers will be removed, and the permanent veneers will be placed individually on the surface of the tooth using a cement-based bonding material. The cosmetic will be able to adjust the veneers for the best fit and most natural look. Once all the porcelain veneers are in place, the process is complete, and you have a permanently brilliant smile.
The Popularity of Porcelain Veneers
As you can now see, there are so many reasons why porcelain veneers have become the cosmetic dental procedure of choice for those looking for a brilliant, white smile that lasts forever. Choosing veneers is the fastest way to get natural-looking white teeth. You can treat several cosmetic dental issues with porcelain veneers, like discoloration, chipped or missing teeth, or gaps and misalignments. Veneers treat these issues much faster than other treatment options.
In about three office visits, your porcelain veneers will be in place. They will be durable, stain-resistant, and require very little maintenance to keep them looking great. You will care for your porcelain veneers the same way you would care for your natural teeth. Because of all these great features, porcelain veneers are one of the most popular cosmetic dental treatments.
Candidates for Porcelain Veneers
If you are generally in good dental health, you are a good candidate for porcelain veneers. Most patients who get veneers are looking to treat mild to somewhat severe aesthetic dental defects. If you have tooth discoloration, chipping and cracked teeth, or gaps and misalignment, you could benefit from dental veneers.
There are cases where patients are not good candidates for porcelain veneers because of the current state of their dental health. Possible issues include:
Tooth Decay
Porcelain veneers will not be an option for you if you have cavities or tooth decay. Placing veneers over tooth decay may allow the problem to spread throughout the rest of your natural teeth and damage the structure that holds the veneers in place. If you have an issue with tooth decay, you will need to fix that before getting veneers.
Broken or Crumbling Teeth
Porcelain veneers must be placed against your existing teeth, so there cannot be any structural issues with the teeth or else the veneers will be jeopardized. If you have broken or crumbling teeth, veneers may not be the best option for you.
Teeth Grinding
Some people have a condition called bruxism, which is the grinding of the teeth or clenching of the jaw. If you deal with bruxism, your cosmetic dentist may advise trying to break your habit before getting porcelain veneers. While they are durable, veneers can be damaged by grinding the teeth. The pressure from grinding can erode the veneers, loosen the bond, or crack a veneer.
World-Class Porcelain Veneers at Austin Cosmetic Dentistry
If you want the best in porcelain veneers, you want Dr. Tejas Patel and the team at Austin Cosmetic Dentistry. For 20 years, Dr. Patel has been designing smiles and boosting confidence with a blended love of science and arts.
While Dr. Patel is a staple in the Austin dentistry community, he and his team treat patients from all over the United States. If you’d like to learn more about how you can get the smile of your dreams, contact Austin Cosmetic Dentistry today.
