Are You a Candidate for Dental Veneers?
A smile makeover may not affect your physical health, but it can affect your overall well-being. It can enhance your self-confidence and help you make great first impressions. Many people would like to adjust aspects of their smiles but are concerned with the potential costs, but dental veneers are among the most popular cosmetic dental options because they are so affordable.
Not only are veneers relatively inexpensive, but the procedure is fast, minimally invasive, and painless. In addition, veneers can be used to correct a wide range of cosmetic flaws, including stained, gapped, misaligned, and uneven teeth. Not everyone is an ideal candidate for dental veneers, however, so let us consider whether veneers may be the right option for you.
What Are Dental Veneers?
Veneers are ultra-thin facades often made from porcelain or a composite resin. The material is carefully selected or made in order to match your natural tooth aesthetics. The veneer is then custom-made to your smile, including shape, thickness, length, and width.
Your tooth requires a bit of prep, which is where the minimally invasive aspect comes in. Your dentist will remove a thin layer of enamel from the tooth. This is quite painless and necessary so that the veneer does not increase the girth and weight of the tooth beyond what is natural.
Once the tooth is prepped, a thin layer of ceramic material is applied to the tooth. Your dentist will then place the veneer, and a special light will be used to cure the adhesive material and create the bond. Any staining or other imperfections in your teeth will now be imperceptible.
Why Veneers Over Other Dental Restorations?
Dental veneers are an excellent option when you are dissatisfied with some aspect of your teeth, but those teeth are fundamentally sound. Veneers overcome staining in scenarios where whitening cannot, and there is not much cause to extract or crown a tooth just due to a minor cosmetic flaw.
Is Everyone a Good Candidate for Veneers?
Dental veneers are a good option for many people, but not all. Let us consider the indications that you may or may not be a good candidate for veneers:
- Veneers are a good option for people who have stained but otherwise healthy teeth. Your dentist may first recommend teeth whitening, but if your teeth do not respond, veneers will work.
- Veneers are also a good option to disguise imperfections after restorative work has been performed. You may have old fillings to hide, or a tooth may be discolored due to decay.
- A dentist may recommend veneers to cover cracked, chipped, and misshapen teeth.
- You may be an ideal candidate for veneers if you want to correct multiple issues at once. A single veneer can correct a tooth that is misshapen, discolored, cracked, and gapped.
- You need to have good overall health. If there are health issues with your teeth or gums, then your dentist will likely recommend treating those problems prior to considering veneers.
- It is necessary that the tooth or teeth to be covered have a suitable amount of enamel. If that enamel is not present and not correctable, you may not be a good candidate for veneers.
- Veneers are a good option to correct slight crookedness or misalignment. It is possible for teeth to be too misaligned and therefore put too much pressure on the veneer.
- A good candidate must take care of their veneers and avoid bad habits like biting your nails, crunching hard candies and pretzels, gnawing on pens and other foreign objects, and so forth.
- Sleep bruxism will generally rule you out as a candidate for veneers. Even though bruxism can be treated with a night guard, the grinding and clenching may be too much pressure for the veneer.
- Good oral hygiene is important as well. A candidate for dental veneers must brush and floss on a regular basis, and they require regular checkups in order to ensure that the veneers last.
Transform Your Smile
Modern dental veneers are a fast, affordable, and comfortable way to transform your smile. You may be amazed at how Jeffrey D. Clark, DDS, can use veneers to shape your smile in a way that pleases you and lasts. Meet with Dr. Clark to discuss porcelain veneers and your other cosmetic options. Call Scottsdale Cosmetic Dentistry Excellence at 480 585 1853 with any questions you may have and to make that appointment.
