Do you have stained teeth, but have been told your stains can’t be whitened? Do you have crooked teeth, but don’t have the patience for orthodontic treatment? Are the gaps between your teeth inconsistent, but you don’t have the resources to have those gaps perfected with Invisalign? Those are all scenarios — but by far from the only ones — when obtaining dental veneers from a dentist in Sherwood Park may be the ideal solution.
What are dental veneers?
Veneers (sometimes called laminates) are thin shells made of porcelain or composite resin that cover healthy, but flawed, teeth. Porcelain is the preferred material for making veneers because they are stronger than veneers made from composites and because they are much more resistant to stains and discolouration. Porcelain also reflects light in ways very similar to healthy natural teeth. Veneers are custom-designed for your particular teeth to cover discolouration, worn teeth, chipped or broken teeth, misaligned and inconsistently shaped teeth, and inconsistently spaced teeth.
Does getting dental veneers in Sherwood Park sound like the perfect solution for achieving your cosmetic dentistry goals? At Aspire Dental, we’re glad to hear you’re interested, but want to caution you for a moment. Confirming whether veneers are appropriate for you is something a dentist near you can confirm only after carefully examining your teeth. There’s also some more information that you should know. Here are five key additional points about veneers.
Veneers are quicker than braces, that’s for sure. But they still take some time. After examining and preparing your teeth, your dentist will take impressions of the teeth to be covered by veneers. Those impressions will be sent to a laboratory, where technicians will prepare the veneers for the dentist to bond to your teeth. That usually takes a couple weeks, and the whole process will require at least two dental appointments.
If veneers were just placed overtop of your original tooth, it would add thickness to your tooth. It would also not fix any odd shapes in the underlying tooth, but merely coat them. To ensure a veneer does not add thickness to your tooth and fixes and shape issues while also fitting properly, the staff at a dental clinic near you will remove some of the enamel from your natural tooth.
Just like teeth, no two sets of veneers are identical. You, your dentist, and the technicians at your dentist’s dental laboratory will work collaboratively to craft veneers that accomplish your goals but also appear completely natural in your mouth and smile. Your dentist and their staff will consider the colour and shape of your natural teeth, and the colour of your gums, lips, and skin to ensure the most natural appearance possible.
You can get partial or full veneers. Partial veneers will cover specific areas of a tooth without covering the remainder of the tooth or requiring any more modifications than absolutely necessary. On the other hand, full veneers cover the entire tooth and often more than one tooth. Full veneers are particularly helpful for fixing spacing issues between teeth and are often part of a treatment plan designed to achieve a “Hollywood Smile.”
Veneers are permanent in the sense that they aren’t removed on a day to day basis. Having said that, they don’t last forever. If you take care of your teeth and gums, your veneer should last up to 20 years. On the other hand, you can shorten that lifespan significantly by some bad habits such as biting your nails, grinding your teeth, or neglecting the health of the underlying tooth. The best way to sustain your veneers’ lifespan is to attend regular dental checkups where your dentist will keep an eye out for any issues.
With that information, do veneers sound like a possible solution to help you achieve your cosmetic dentistry goals? To find out if getting dental veneers near you is a good idea, contact a dental clinic near you to arrange a consultation.