Even if you don't feel particularly self-conscious about cosmetic irregularities in your molars, you may avoid smiling due to discolored, jagged, damaged, or gapped front teeth. These teeth may not require full-scale functional reconstructions such as crowns, but they may require more help than a simple whitening procedure (or even dental bonding) can offer.

Dental veneers can provide an ideal solution to this embarrassing issue. These shell-like porcelain structures essentially replace the front surfaces of your teeth for cosmetic purposes, giving a bright, white smile that features even, perfectly formed, and natural-looking teeth. Discover some key things to understand about this cosmetic dental option.

How Do Veneers Improve Your Smile?

Veneers consist of thin pieces of porcelain or resin molded and shaped to fit on top of your front teeth's outermost surfaces. The porcelain versions boast approximately the same strength and durability as natural tooth enamel, allowing them to last up to 20 years with proper care. Strong dental cement bonds the veneers to the enamel beneath.

Some people receive veneers to correct discolorations that ordinary whitening cannot seem to fix, while others seek to correct chipped, cracked, or jagged teeth. Still others have veneers made with extra width (which reduces gaps between adjacent teeth) or extra length (to correct for excessive enamel wear).

Who Should Consider Veneers?

If you want to correct one of the problems noted above with veneers, you must first have a healthy mouth. Your dentist will need to address and resolve any plaque accumulation, gum disease, cavities, or other dental health problems before you can safely receive veneers.

If you suffer from bruxism (chronic clenching or grinding of the teeth), you may not want to invest in veneers. Just as this clenching and grinding can wear down natural enamel, it can also damage even the strongest porcelain veneers over time. If you still want to go ahead with veneers, ask your dentist for a custom-fitted night guard that can protect your veneers from the effects of bruxism.

What Can You Expect From the Procedure?

Porcelain veneer preparation and fitting usually requires two dental visits. During the first visit, the dentist will shave away a minimal amount of the front-facing tooth enamel. (You may receive a local anesthetic beforehand if you know you have sensitive teeth.)

Next, the dentist takes an impression of the prepared tooth, sending the impression to laboratory personnel who will fabricate the veneer. A temporary veneer will cover your tooth until the permanent veneer comes back from the laboratory. During the second visit, the dentist roughens the enamel surface and then cements the permanent veneer into place, hardening the adhesive with light.

Your new veneer should fit comfortably and allow for a normal bite. If you have any lingering problems along these lines, a follow-up appointment with your dentist should correct them.

How Should You Care for Your Veneers?

Porcelain veneers don't stain as readily as the composite resin in tooth bonding or old-fashioned resin veneers, but staining can still occur. Minimize your consumption of red wine, coffee, and other things that typically stain the teeth. (This moderation may also help keep your natural enamel from staining at a faster rate than your veneers.)

You must treat your porcelain veneers with care if you want them to last for many years. Avoid opening packages with your front teeth or biting into hard objects. If you chip or break a veneer, you can't fix it; you have to have a dentist remove and replace it. As for hygiene, brush and floss your veneered teeth just as you do your other teeth, but always use a toothpaste low in abrasion.

University Dental P.A. can fit you with the beautiful porcelain veneers you seek. Contact us to schedule an appointment.