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Repairing Damaged & Misshapen Teeth
If you are unhappy with the look of your teeth, you may be reluctant to show your smile in public. Fortunately, cosmetic dental treatments such as porcelain veneers can help you gain confidence in revealing your smile again.
Dental veneers are custom-made shells that look much like your natural teeth. They are designed to repair a variety of aesthetic issues, including chipped, discoloured, misaligned, irregularly shaped, uneven or fractured teeth.
Your dentist at Cedars Dental can bond veneers to the front of your natural tooth to change their colour, size or shape.
Porcelain vs Resin Veneers
Dental veneers are usually made from porcelain or resin composite materials. Depending on the nature of your condition, your dentist may recommend either type.
Porcelain veneers have the ability to resist stains better than resin veneers and can better mimic the light-reflecting properties of natural teeth.
Resin veneers are thinner than their porcelain counterparts and require less of the tooth's surface to be removed before they can be placed. Contact us to book a consultation to learn which type of veneers suit your needs.
The Veneer Procedure
You'll need to see your dentist three times to have porcelain veneers applied—once for the consultation, and twice more so the veneers can be created and placed. One or many of your teeth can undergo the process described below:
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Diagnosis & Treatment Planning
During this initial phase, your dentist will take X-rays of your teeth and potentially create an impression of your mouth to determine which type of veneers need to be placed.
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Preparing the Tooth & Impressions
To prepare a tooth/teeth for a veneer, your dentist will remove about .5 mm of enamel from the tooth surface, the amount that is equal to the thickness of the veneer to be installed.
Before removing the tooth's surface, the area will be numbed with anesthetic. The impression will be taken and the veneers will be placed 1 to 2 weeks later.
For very unsightly teeth, temporary veneers can be applied for an additional cost.
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Bonding the Veneer
Your dentist will temporarily place the dental veneer on your tooth before permanently cementing it to confirm that it will fit correctly, and that the colour will match your existing teeth. The veneer may be trimmed multiple times to achieve the right fit.
To prepare the tooth for the veneer, the tooth will be cleaned, polished and etched to encourage a strong bonding process. Your dentist will also apply special cement to the veneer before fitting it to your tooth.
Once the veneer is properly positioned on your tooth, a special light beam will be used to activate chemicals in the cement, causing it to quickly harden or cure.
Finally, your bite will be evaluated and any necessary last adjustments will be made.
Your dentist may ask you to return for a follow-up visit in a couple of weeks to see how your gums are responding to the veneer.
Features of Veneers
If you are looking to alter the shape of individual teeth or the evenness of your whole smile, your dentist may recommend dental veneers. Less intrusive than dental crowns (which are designed to repair more severe damage), veneers also generally require less shaping of the tooth. Conditions that dental veneers can correct include worn, chipped, crooked, broken, or discoloured teeth. They can also reduce unwanted spacing and change the size of your teeth.
Caring for your Veneers
Dental veneers typically last 5 to 10 years, after which they need to be replaced. Practicing proper dental hygiene, including daily brushing and flossing, can prolong the life of your veneers and help keep your mouth healthy. Certain beverages, including coffee, can leave stains on your veneers, so you may want to avoid these drinks or use a straw. We also advise against smoking, as cigarettes can dull the whiteness of the porcelain.