What are Veneers?
If you are looking to improve the appearance of your smile, dental veneers can be an excellent cosmetic option to help you achieve your goals. Veneers are thin, custom-made covers of porcelain, or very strong acrylic, that are created to improve the appearance of your smile in a natural way. Once shaped, they are simply bonded to the front of your teeth, resulting in a beautiful and attractive smile.
How Long Do Veneers Last?
One of the reasons we like to use porcelain when creating veneers is its durability. When properly taken care of and maintained, porcelain veneers can last 10 years or more. As with most dental restorations, they may someday need replacement—however, they are an excellent option to provide you a long-lasting, beautiful smile.
Reasons to Consider Getting Veneers
Veneers can be a great alternative to crowns and are an ideal solution when addressing cosmetic concerns like:
- Chipped, cracked or worn teeth
- Severely discolored or stained teeth
- Misshapen teeth or crooked teeth
- Unwanted or uneven spaces
- Teeth that are too small or large
What Does the Process Involve?
The process of creating and bonding custom veneers usually requires 2 to 3 visits. During the first visit, impressions will be taken to create study models of your teeth. The study models will be sent to a lab to do an esthetic wax-up. The wax-up will allow you to see a preview of how the veneers might look. Any changes you may want can be easily changed in the wax-up. After approval of the wax-up, the second appointment can be scheduled. At the second appointment, your teeth are prepared by lightly buffing and shaping the surfaces that the veneers will cover. Usually, this includes the front, sides and biting edges of the teeth. This shaping allows room for the veneers to seamlessly fit on top of your teeth. Next, an impression of the re-shaped teeth is taken. Finally, a shade (color) will be chosen by you and your doctor before the impression is sent to our Peoria dentistry lab where they will design your veneers. In the meantime, we can place a set of temporary veneers for you to wear.
The third visit usually occurs about 14 days later. Your teeth will be cleaned and conditioned to achieve a durable bond. Bonding resin is then placed between each tooth and veneer and a curing light is used to harden and set the bond.
After your veneers have been placed, you will receive instructions on how to properly care for them. Brushing, flossing and regular dental exams will aid in extending the lifespan of your beautiful, new smile.
We highly recommend a Nightguard be worn to protect your beautiful porcelain veneers from damage from possible nighttime grinding or clenching. Almost everyone clenches or grinds their teeth when they are sleeping.