What do veneers do?
Veneers function as covers for the outer surfaces of your teeth. They’re only available for the teeth you can see when you smile because they serve only a cosmetic purpose. Veneers cover such dental damage and unwanted features as:
- Short teeth
- Pointed teeth
- Chipped teeth
- Cracked teeth
- Gray discoloration
- Brown discoloration
- Staining
- Uneven spacing between teeth
The team at Gentle Dental Care can provide customized veneers for one or many of your teeth. If you already have straight, uniform teeth but just one problematic tooth sticks out, a single veneer should do the trick. If none of your teeth look the way you want them to, the team may recommend that you get several veneers to create the illusion of a pristine, uniform row of teeth.
What are my choices for veneers?
The team at Gentle Dental Care offers two options for dental veneers and helps you select the most fitting choice for your case. You can choose between:
Standard porcelain veneers
Standard porcelain veneers are strong, durable, and stain-resistant. Your dentist must prepare your teeth at an initial appointment by grinding down some of the enamel to make way for the veneers. For the two weeks or so that your veneers are made in a lab, your dentist gives you temporary ceramic veneers to wear.
Then, they place the veneers and bond them to your teeth at a second appointment.
Lumineers
Lumineers® provide a less invasive option than standard porcelain veneers. Your dentist doesn’t remove any of your enamel: Instead, they take a mold of your teeth and send it to a Lumineers lab. Lumineers are made of ultra-thin, ultra-strong porcelain called Cerinate porcelain. Your dentist etches your teeth slightly before placing them for a better hold.
What should I do if I break a veneer?
Both porcelain veneers and Lumineers are extremely durable and able to withstand the normal forces of your bite under most conditions. However, should you accidentally bite down on a bone or an unpopped popcorn kernel and feel the dreaded sensation of a veneer cracking, you must call Gentle Dental Care as soon as possible for an appointment.
There are often signs that a veneer is weakening long before it cracks. While dental veneers usually last 5-10 years before requiring a replacement, you might start to feel some tooth sensitivity if they get fractured.
For help deciding between Lumineers and traditional porcelain veneers, call Gentle Dental Care or request an appointment online today.
