You have probably heard other people talking about veneers, and may have wondered, what is a veneer? It is a cosmetic dental treatment that is easily muddled up with other popular treatments; in particular dental crowns that cover up the whole of the tooth and which require a substantial amount of tooth material to be removed. In comparison dental veneers only cover the front portion of the tooth, and possibly the biting edge of the tooth. In fact a dental veneer is quite a conservative dental treatment that only requires a small amount of tooth material to be removed. Sometimes a dental veneer can be fitted without any prior tooth preparation, something which is called a no prep veneer.
What Is a Veneer Used for?
A veneer is quite a versatile dental treatment that is often used for purely cosmetic purposes. It is useful for straightening up teeth that are slightly crooked, for covering up teeth that might be slightly discolored, and for mending slight imperfections in teeth such as wear and tear to the incisal or biting edges. Veneers can also be used for closing the gaps in between the teeth or at least narrowing them.
The Process for Having a Dental Veneer
You will need to visit your dentist in Houston several times in order to have dental veneers designed and planned, your teeth prepared, and the veneers fitted. It’s definitely best to allow several weeks or even a couple of months also to complete this treatment, especially if you intend to have a lot of veneers as part of a smile makeover, or are using this treatment in conjunction with other cosmetic dental treatments.
The first step is to visit your dentist for a cosmetic dental consultation, and to find out exactly what veneers can do for your smile, and to make sure they are the right course of treatment for you. If you are having a lot of veneers then your dentist will probably want to design your smile, and this is an essential part of the process.
This can either be done using computerized technology to show how your new smile will look, or your dentist may choose to take impressions of your teeth that are used to make dental plaster models. These models will then be modified to show how the finished veneers will look, and these may even be used as a template for temporary restorations while your veneers are being made.
Once you are happy with your smile design then the next step is to prepare your teeth. A good dentist will make sure they remove the absolute minimum of tooth material to give you excellent results, as the materials used to make modern are incredibly strong, and today’s veneers can be constructed to be extremely thin. Once the teeth are prepared you’ll probably be fitted with temporary veneers, and this is a great chance to see how your new smile will look, as any adjustments are easily made at this stage. On your next visit you’ll be fitted with the real veneers, and once your dentist is happy they fit perfectly, they’ll be permanently cemented into place.
Make sure you choose a highly experienced cosmetic dentist such as Dr. Jonathan Penchas. You need to choose someone who will listen to you, and who will work with you to give you the smile you really want. Above all they should be prepared to answer all your questions, including what is a veneer.
