Correct cosmetic concerns with dental veneers.
Do you have a good level of oral health but still feel less than confident about the actual appearance of your smile? If you do, you’re not alone. While having healthy teeth and gums is the top priority, being happy with how your teeth look comes in at a close second for many adults. This is exactly why smile makeovers with porcelain veneers are such a popular cosmetic dentistry service.
Veneers are a permanent cosmetic dentistry treatment that involves your dentist skillfully molding and bonding a very thin film of porcelain over your teeth. This porcelain layer is very precisely placed, allowing your dentist to not just brighten your smile with a beautiful overlay but also fix cosmetic concerns in the process.
Here are 5 of the main cosmetic concerns that can be fixed with porcelain veneers.
1. Permanently Stained or Discolored Teeth
Professional tooth whitening is easily the most requested service in the world of cosmetic dentistry, but it doesn’t always yield the results patients are expecting. Whitening is fantastic for getting a bright, white smile by removing surface stains, but sometimes very deep stains and discoloration stay put.
There are many reasons why stains or discoloration form deep within teeth, such as tooth or gum disease, medication, previous trauma to the tooth, or even other health issues, like an autoimmune disease. Whatever the reason may be, as long as your oral health is up to par and your dentist deems you a good candidate, porcelain veneers are the ideal solution.
Veneers will not only hide permanent stains, but they’ll also keep your smile white and bright after treatment due to the stain-resistance of porcelain. Your dentist will also customize the porcelain material to the specific opacity and whiteness that will look best with the look you’d like to achieve.
2. Gaps and Spaces in Your Smile
While gaps in teeth might look endearing to some, many adults would rather not have gaps or, at least, very reduced gap spacing. A gap between the front teeth is very obvious, but even small spaces and gaps around other teeth can look less than desirable. It’s also worth mentioning that improper spacing between teeth can increase your risk of cavities, as they’ll more easily trap food and bacteria.
Rather than opting for orthodontic treatment to close gaps, porcelain veneers can be specifically designed to reduce these spaces. This is a wonderful option for many patients, as it’s less expensive than orthodontic treatment and it yields immediate results. If you have gaps but your teeth are otherwise straight and well-aligned, veneers certainly make a lot of sense.
If you have healthy teeth and small gaps or spaces, chances are high your dentist will be able to use veneers. Veneers as a treatment option for larger gaps must be done on a case-by-case basis, but don’t lose hope. Porcelain is a very strong material and a skilled dentist can reduce quite large spaces in your smile.
3. Oddly Shaped Teeth
If you feel like your teeth are too short, too pointy, or look worn, you’re not alone. Oddly shaped teeth can make you feel self-conscious about your smile, even if your teeth are bright, white, and healthy. Veneers are a great solution in these situations, especially if you have more than one tooth that’s the issue.
A skilled dentist can get quite artistic with porcelain veneers and completely transform the look of misshapen teeth. Veneers can also fix the issue of a “gummy” smile, which is a smile that shows more gums than teeth, by lengthening the teeth to a better proportion and carefully shaping the overlay.
4. Chips, Cracks, and Other Minor Tooth Damage
Severely damaged teeth will require restorative dental work to remedy, but if your teeth have minor chips, shallow cracks, and similar cosmetic flaws, veneers are a great fix. Chips and other minor tooth damage is really common in adults, but it certainly can detract from an otherwise beautiful smile. It’s likely very small chips are hardly noticeable to others, but even if they only bother you when you look in the mirror, it’s worth looking into getting veneers.
It’s important to understand that porcelain veneers are only able to be placed over healthy teeth where the chip or damage is on the surface and doesn’t penetrate past the enamel. Putting veneers over a tooth that has a serious chip breaking through the enamel to the dentin or a tooth that has decay formed is not a candidate for veneers, though it could be a possibility after your dentist performs restorative work.
5. Crooked and Misaligned Teeth
As mentioned earlier, occasionally porcelain veneers can be used as an alternative to orthodontic treatment. In fact, even crooked and misaligned teeth can be “fixed” to an extent. Veneers certainly aren’t going to physically realign crooked teeth, but they can essentially form a mask over them to give your smile the appearance of straight teeth.
If your teeth are crooked enough that it physically affects your jaw movement or in any way impedes your daily life, then orthodontics will be required. If your teeth are crooked but your dentist deems that your natural jaw movement is fine, then veneers would be a great option to consider. Misaligned teeth are a tricky subject, so it’s really important that you thoroughly discuss your options with your dentist to determine whether a cosmetic-only fix with veneers is a wise choice.
Speak with your dentist about porcelain veneers.
Porcelain veneers can truly make a dramatic difference in the appearance of your teeth and how confident you feel about showing off your smile.
As with any cosmetic dentistry service, not every patient is a candidate for porcelain veneers. The best way to ensure you’re a good candidate for veneers and have the proper information about fixing cosmetic issues is to schedule a consultation with your dentist. From there, you and your dentist can figure out a treatment plan that will help you get the smile you’ve always wanted.