Understanding the Benefits of Dental Veneers
When you pass by the mirror, how does your smile make you feel? If it’s time to restore worn down, damaged teeth, your Chevy Chase cosmetic dentist can improve your smile with porcelain veneers and other restorative dental services. Learn more about the benefits of dental veneers and what the procedure involves. Then, determine if this process is right for you.
What Are Dental Veneers?
Dental veneers are thin shells that fit onto the surface of your teeth. We use them to help you achieve your smile makeover goals. Typically, we craft them out of porcelain and other ceramic materials. They differ from crowns, which cover most of the tooth’s surface to correct serious defects.
Who Should Get Dental Veneers?
To find out if porcelain veneers would work for you, we start with a consultation. You meet with our cosmetic dentist to discuss your goals.
Dental veneers often resolve the following defects:
- Gaps between teeth
- Smile impaired by crooked teeth
- Chipped or broken teeth
- Stained, discolored teeth
Often, porcelain veneers provide the most satisfying results. However, you may need a dental crown if your tooth is badly damaged or needs more coverage. We can work this out during your consultation.
Are There Different Types of Veneers?
There are two basic types of dental veneers, composite and porcelain.
Composite Veneers
For composite veneers, we apply a composite material and sculpt it into shape during your visit. Composite veneers resolve minor cosmetic issues, including chips and cracks. We also use them to fill in the gap between front teeth.
Composite veneers are less expensive and faster to install than porcelain veneers. However, the finish isn’t as detailed as porcelain veneers and they are prone to discoloration. Regular polishing and good dental hygiene ensure that they last a long time.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers have a transformative effect on your smile that many patients believe justifies the extra expense and longer installation time. Plan for multiple appointments, as the initial preparation starts with your dentist, but a dental laboratory creates your veneers.
Porcelain veneers allow for a great deal of customization. The dentist matches the color and shape of your natural teeth. Porcelain resists staining and can improve the look of discoloration, cracks, and chips. They last much longer than composite veneers.
What Are the Benefits?
Many patients appreciate that dental veneers enhance their smiles and help them feel more confident. Since the cosmetic dentist forms the veneer to the shape of your teeth, you end up with a natural-looking smile. Porcelain veneers even reflect light the same way as normal teeth.
Lab technicians use special tools and the impression taken by your dentist to create the veneer with the exact enamel color, contours, and other factors specified by the dentist. Once the veneers return from the lab, we schedule another appointment to install them on your teeth. The cosmetic dentist may sculpt the veneer further to ensure the best possible fit and finished look. The veneer is customized to elevate your smile and improve facial symmetry.
Dental veneers minimize the impact of misaligned teeth that detract from your smile. The nonporous surface resists stains and decay, unlike natural teeth that stain easily and develop cavities if not properly cared for.
With proper care, dental veneers can last 15 years or longer. Unlike braces and other treatments, dental veneers install quickly with no visible hardware and maintain for years.
What Are the Procedures?
When patients visit our office in Chevy Chase, MD, we start with a consultation on all the options available. The cosmetic dentist may take an impression of your teeth to send to the lab, or you may have to come back for a follow-up visit to get an impression made of the teeth receiving veneers. Thanks to the due diligence of our dentist, the shape, size, and color of your teeth will match your natural teeth.
While you’re waiting for the permanent veneers, you wear a temporary veneer affixed to the tooth with removable glue. To place the temporary veneer, the dentist removes some of the enamel on each tooth receiving a temporary veneer. This helps the veneer bond with your tooth. The cosmetic dentist also makes sure the veneer lays flat against the tooth and aligns with your gumline.
Our staff provides instructions to patients on how to care for the temporary tooth. This includes brushing the teeth surrounding the veneer and the veneer itself gently. The removable glue may not withstand hard foods, so you will need to be careful.
Once the permanent teeth return from the lab, you can come in for the final appointment. The doctor installs the veneers and makes any final adjustments needed to perfect the results. After both you and the dentist approve the look and fit, they clean up the tooth and bond the veneer firmly in place. Join other patients in Chevy Chase and throughout Maryland who have received a beautiful smile from Renaldi Dental Arts.
What to Expect After the Procedure?
You may have sore teeth for a few days after getting the permanent dental veneers. You can take your regular over-the-counter pain medication to alleviate any discomfort. Get plenty of rest and apply cold compressive if you notice any swelling. It’s a good idea to avoid hard foods for at least a few days; stick to soft foods until the veneers fully set.
Despite the slight recovery time, patients love the new look that dental veneers provide for them. At the end of the day, you have a stunning smile that others will notice.
Dental Veneers in Chevy Chase, MD
Schedule a consultation or appointment online to find out more about dental veneers and other procedures that can improve your smile. Rinaldi Dental Arts has a full menu of cosmetic procedures that make it easy to enhance your appearance. Learn more about dental veneers and smile rejuvenation today.
