Using Veneers to Enhance Your Natural Smile

As a cosmetic dentist, I specialize in performing procedures that help restore patients’ beautiful smiles. If you’re self-conscious about the appearance of your teeth, you may benefit from veneers.

What are Veneers?

Veneers are very thin shells of Porcelain or Resin that are custom-designed to cover the front of teeth and improve their appearance. They match or improve the natural color of the teeth. Resin veneers are made from a natural tooth colored composite material, but porcelain veneers are better at resisting stains and look more natural. At your consultation, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of each type of veneer and which may be right for you.

What Issues Do Veneers Fix?

Veneers are used to fix the following conditions:

• Discolored teeth due to stains, excessive fluoride, large resin fillings, or root canal treatment
• Worn down, chipped, or broken teeth
• Uneven, irregularly shaped, or misaligned teeth
• Gaps between teeth

How Does the Procedure Work?

After your initial consultation, we will discuss how we custom design your smile, you’ll come in for one appointment where we make the veneers and one appointment where we apply them. To make the veneer, I will remove about a half-millimeter of enamel from each tooth’s surface. We will discuss the need for a local numbing anesthetic at your initial consultation. Then I will make an impression of each tooth, which is sent to a laboratory that fabricates your veneers. Once the veneers come back in, usually after a week or two, I’ll adjust their fit and apply them to your teeth using a special cement. Once they’ve been properly applied, I’ll shine a special light beam over the veneer, which causes the cement to harden. After the process is complete, I’ll remove any excess cement and make final adjustments to the teeth.

If you’re interested in improving the appearance of your teeth with veneers, call my office today to schedule a consultation!