What are Dental Veneers?

If you are looking for a solution for a dental issue but are a bit leery about fixed bridges, dental implants, or braces, dental veneers might just be the right solution for you. The process of applying dental veneers is less invasive than other procedures and can help solve many problems, both major and minor, that can give you back your smile and your confidence.

Dental veneers are thin sheets of tooth-colored material, usually porcelain, that cover the front visible side of teeth. They are custom-made to fit perfectly over your teeth and are designed to look like and blend in with natural teeth. Veneers can be formed to match your natural teeth or used to give teeth a more classically shaped look or an increase in size. Some patients use veneers to cover just one tooth that is discolored, but many people use them to rebuild their smile with veneers on the entire front row of their upper teeth.

During the procedure to apply a veneer, a thin layer of tooth enamel is removed from your tooth to make room for the veneer so that it is flush with your other teeth. The dentist then takes an impression, and the veneer is fabricated in a lab or in the dentist’s office and made to perfectly fit over your existing tooth. Dental veneers are permanently bonded with your teeth and are not removable unless they need to be replaced.

Cosmetic Benefits of Dental Veneers

Dental veneers hide a multitude of dental issues, so patients will immediately see an improvement in the overall appearance of their smile after getting veneers. Cosmetic benefits include the following:

Match your natural tooth color: If one tooth is discolored due to an injury or root canal, you can match it to your other teeth.
Lighten stained teeth: If other whitening methods have been dissatisfactory, veneers give patients a bright, white smile.
Hide imperfections: Veneers hide wear and tear or large noticeable fillings.
Add volume to thin teeth: Thin teeth can be thickened with veneers by not removing as much enamel during the application process or by increasing the thickness of the veneer.
Fix an uneven gum line: You can use veneers to even out your gum line or to make a difference if your teeth look too short.

Some patients may even be able to forgo braces and opt for veneers to treat orthodontic issues instead. Veneers can also be used to fix issues with teeth that are:

Crowded: Veneers can make front teeth look evenly spaced.
Crooked: You can straighten crooked teeth with dental veneers instead of braces.
Gapped: Many patients have filled in a gap in their front teeth with veneers.
Off-centered: Veneers can fix a smile that appears off-centered.
Irregularly shaped: An odd-shaped tooth can become classically shaped with a veneer.
Smaller-than-average: Your veneers can be customized to whatever size and shape you believe would help you look your best.

Restorative Benefits of Dental Veneers

While dental veneers undoubtedly make your teeth look beautiful, they can also help restore them instead of using a more invasive restorative procedure, such as fitting the tooth with a crown. Veneers can help with the following dental issues:

Small chips and fractures: If a chip is so small that it would be difficult to fill without removing more of your tooth but so large that it bothers you, dental veneers are a great solution.
Worn enamel: Enamel can get thinner over time by drinking acidic drinks or just from age. Veneers can help bring back strength and thickness to your teeth.
Missing tooth: Dental veneers are an alternative solution to bridges and implants if you are missing one of your front teeth. Back teeth create too much pressure during chewing to be replaced by veneers, but front teeth are good candidates for this option.

Other Benefits

Dental veneers also have other benefits as an option compared to other methods of tooth restoration and cosmetic improvement and also as an alternative to just living with an imperfection that makes you feel self-conscious. Dental veneers:

Require little enamel removal: Dentists don’t need to take off nearly as much enamel for dental veneers as they do with crowns. The less of your natural tooth that needs to be removed, the better it is in the long run.
Help protect vulnerable teeth: Dental veneers offer more support to a weakened tooth without needing a full crown. A veneer can actually add structure to a weakened tooth if the enamel is already thin.
Are customizable: You can choose what size, shape, or color you want for your veneers so that you can match your original teeth as much as possible or make a whole brand new smile.
Are stain resistant: Dental veneers are a whitening solution because they won’t stain with coffee or other beverages and stay shiny, bright white.
Look and feel natural: Dental veneers look so much like natural teeth that most people won’t be able to tell they aren’t your original teeth. You may even forget yourself, too.
Require the same care as natural teeth: You just brush and floss your veneers just like you do your natural teeth.
Last 10-15 years or more: Dental veneers are long-lasting, and can even hold up for 30 years or the lifetime of the patient, in some cases.
Increase your confidence: Smile and laugh with confidence and without feeling self-conscious or embarrassed from missing teeth, stains, or other imperfections.
Give you instant results: Once your dental veneers are in place, you can immediately see your new, beautiful smile.

Improve Your Smile at Dental Excellence

If you feel self-conscious or embarrassed because of chipped, off-centered, gapped, or stained teeth, or you just want to improve the look of your smile, Dental Excellence in Independence, MO, can help you with dental veneers. Dental Excellence has a whole team of specialists who can help you get the smile you’ve always wanted or get back the one you used to have. If you want to find out if dental veneers are right for you, contact Dental Excellence to schedule an appointment.