Dental Veneers -- The Pros and Cons
You’re thinking about upgrading your smile with a set of brand-new porcelain veneers.
Dental veneers are a great way to instantly enhance your appearance. But before you decide whether or not they’re right for you, take a minute to consider some of the benefits and drawbacks to having the treatment.
How Do Veneers Work?
A dental veneer is a wafer-thin shell of porcelain that replaces the enamel on the front of a tooth. Only upper front teeth usually qualify for veneers, since these delicate restorations don’t support the forces of chewing.
To place a veneer, our Anchorage cosmetic dentist will carefully buff away the outer layer of enamel on one of your front teeth. The next step is taking a mold of your prepared smile, which is used to design a custom restoration.
About two weeks later, the permanent veneer is cemented onto the front of your prepared tooth to create a perfectly shaped, whiter surface.
Advantages of Getting Dental Veneers
Why should you consider cosmetic dental veneers with our South Anchorage dentist?
Get an instant smile makeover. Veneers are dramatic. There’s no waiting months for braces to work or crowns to be made. You can stop spending hundreds of dollars on whitening treatments that just won’t work. A dental veneer enhances your tooth the instant it goes on.
Make your teeth last longer by replacing enamel. Have you lost any tooth structure to acid wear or a teeth-grinding habit? A veneer is a great way to gently restore a translucent front tooth.
Permanently whiter teeth. Teeth bleaching kits aren’t guaranteed to work on everyone. If you have old dental work, the color won’t ever change. Over the counter whitening systems may only improve your smile’s color by a couple of shades. Veneers are an excellent choice if you want a predictably white smile that stays bright for years.
Align your smile without braces. Slightly crooked front teeth may take several months to correct with braces. But veneers can alter the appearance of a twisted tooth to make it look properly aligned with its neighbors.
Disadvantages of Dental Veneers
Here are a few reasons a veneer may not be right for you.
They’re permanent… Once you get veneers, there’s no going back. Getting a veneer means permanently altering a tooth’s structure. From that moment on, it will be neither comfortable nor appealing without a veneer. You shouldn’t get a veneer unless you’re ready to commit.
...but they’re also not indestructible. A veneer is no stronger than your natural tooth. This means that your veneers would be prone to chipping and fracturing if you don’t treat them carefully. They aren’t tools to open a package. Damaged veneers must be replaced in a timely manner.
Veneers are an investment. Most insurance plans don’t cover optional cosmetic dental procedures such as veneers. You may need to consider a cheaper alternative for your smile if you aren’t ready to pay out of pocket for a dental veneer.
Your teeth may be sensitive for a while. Teeth that are freshly restored with veneers can be a bit sensitive to temperature. The good news is that this is a temporary inconvenience as your teeth adjust with time.
Are Dental Veneers Right for You?
A dental veneer isn’t always the perfect solution. Weak or decayed teeth, for example, often need the support that a dental crown provides. To find out whether your smile could really benefit from veneers, contact South Anchorage Dental Center for a consultation.
