Don’t Like Your Smile?
Porcelain Veneers Can Whiten, Brighten, and Rejuvenate Your Smile
The application of these sophisticated dental products can help you reshape, whiten, and rejuvenate your smile in one or two visits at our dental studio here in West Los Angeles. But, you probably have a few questions you’d like answered. Let us help answer those questions and give you the information you need to decide whether veneers are right for you.
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Veneers are thin layers of durable material that are applied to the front of your natural teeth to brighten your smile by covering stains and other imperfections. While there are a variety of materials to choose from when searching for the right veneers for you, our West Los Angeles dental specialists recommend porcelain for the vast majority of clients. Why? Because porcelain is strong, highly resistant to staining, and is easy to mold into the perfect shape to perfect your smile.
Veneers are typically custom manufactured in a dental laboratory to fit each individual patient. Sometimes veneers are a single thin piece of porcelain that’s bonded to the front of the tooth, other times multiple layers may be applied to achieve the desired effect.
Why Porcelain Veneers?
Veneers are thin handcrafted porcelain shields worn on the front of the tooth which improve the appearance of teeth that are chipped, cracked, stained or worn. Veneers are thin as contact lenses, and are an aesthetically pleasing option of closing gaps, lengthening teeth, and providing symmetry to make your smile more natural. Veneers are intended to last for many years without changing color. They are one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in dentistry. Ask your dentist if veneers may be right for you.
Veneers can completely reshape teeth to correct minor imperfections that have bothered you for years. In addition, the bright coating covers up years of staining from coffee, wine, smoking, and other bad habits.
The top 5 reasons people choose porcelain veneers?
- Visual perfection (to craft a beautiful uniform white smile)
- To “straighten” crooked teeth without braces (veneers don’t actually straighten the teeth but they do cover imperfections and create the illusion that the natural teeth underneath are straighter)
- To cover-up staining
- To “fill in” unwanted or uneven gaps between teeth
- To resurface worn or chipped teeth
What Does Getting Porcelain Veneers Involve?
Getting veneers usually requires two visits to a good dentist in Westwood to complete the process. Thankfully, if you’re fearful of or stressed about going to the dentist, getting veneers is one of the least intrusive dental procedures you can undergo. Often patients are able to tolerate the entire process with little or no anesthesia. And there’s almost no pain associated with getting veneers.
During the first visit the original tooth surface is prepared by lightly buffing and shaping it. This process removes a small portion of the natural enamel of the tooth to not only “make room” for the layers of porcelain to be applied to the organic tooth’s exterior, but also to create a properly “roughed up” surface so that the veneer laminate will adhere properly and assure a long-lasting hold.
The second visit involves preparing the surface of the tooth with a special wash and then physically bonding the veneer layers to the natural tooth with a strong adhesive. The adhesive is then “cured” via a light treatment.
No-Prep Veneers
Another option some patients choose is a “no-prep” or minimal preparation veneer. These types of veneers are applied with minimal modification of the original tooth and are usually bonded to the fronts of your organic teeth.
This method of veneer application takes less time, requires less preparation, can often be completed in one visit to your Westwood dentist, but the final product may not last as long as a traditional multi-layer veneer.
How to Decide if Porcelain Veneers Are Right for You
The first step toward figuring out if porcelain veneers are for you is via a consultation with our Westwood dental specialists. Your doctor can go over all of the options available to you, walk you through the process before you commit, and discuss any potential drawbacks of veneers.
If you decide to proceed, the next step is a detailed “Smile Analysis.” During this process an examination of your current smile will let your dentist estimate exactly how much work is necessary, what sort of veneers are best for you, and if additional preparatory work is needed.
You may even receive a “dental mock-up” which allows you to “try on” veneers to get a true picture of what your smile will look like after the process is complete
The next step is to schedule your first appointment.
Maintaining Your New Porcelain Veneers
For the most part, you can treat your new porcelain veneers exactly as if they were your own teeth. Modern veneers don’t generally require any special treatment and can be brushed and flossed like natural teeth. However, you may wish to discuss a routine maintenance schedule with your Westwood Dentist for your veneers to keep them looking as beautiful as the day they were applied. Your dentist can polish your veneers with a special product to help them maintain that healthy glow and bright white appearance for as long as possible.
Potential Drawbacks to Porcelain Veneers
While having porcelain veneers applied to your teeth is one of the quickest and most affordable ways to brighten and whiten your smile (as well as to correct minor smile defects like twisted or mildly misshapen teeth) veneers do have a couple of drawbacks that your Westwood dentist should go over with you long before you make your final decision to proceed.
After your porcelain veneers are in place, you may experience significant sensitivity to hot or cold. That sensitivity will generally abate within a few days to a few weeks, but in rare cases some patients have longer-lasting sensitivity that may require treatment or the use of over the counter desensitization toothpaste or some other agent.
Porcelain veneers are extremely strong (usually stronger than the organic enamel that coats your teeth) but are also very brittle. That means your veneer may crack or break if exposed to excessive physical shock. Chewing excessively hard foods (or non-food items), grinding your teeth, or playing sports increase the risk of cracking a veneer. Cracked veneers can, however, be repaired. This may require you to change some old bad habits (like grinding you teeth) or use a dental appliance to protect your new smile while you sleep or engage in vigorous activity.
More Questions About Veneers?
Dr. Guillen and his team of dental experts at our Westwood dental studio can answer any questions you might have about porcelain veneers. Schedule your initial consultation today and see just how simple, easy, and pain-free getting a gorgeous smile can really be.
