Dental Veneers: a personal beautification project
More and more people want to improve the appearance of their smile and are turning to dental veneers. Indeed, self-esteem is often impacted by a poor appearance of the teeth, because for many, the smile is a reflection of the personality.
The installation of dental veneers can enhance your smile. It is a simple but very effective solution to mask the imperfections of a smile.
What is a dental veneer?
A dental veneer is a thin ceramic shell bonded to the visible surface of the tooth, similar to an artificial nail, and allows you to correct the shape, color and dimensions of your teeth to significantly improve the appearance of your smile.
It is mainly used on the incisors and canines, i.e. the front teeth. Dental veneers accurately reproduce all the characteristics of a natural tooth, making it impossible to determine with the naked eye which teeth are natural and which are veneers. Moreover, being made of ceramic, it becomes very resistant (more than the natural enamel of your tooth).
There is no other dental treatment that can compete with porcelain veneers when it comes to the preservation of existing tooth structure, permanent tooth whitening, natural appearance and biocompatibility. It is the treatment of choice for improving aesthetic appearance and maintaining healthy oral structures.
At the Dental Office of Ouchy, Dr. Elodie Canavieira offers and applies dental veneers that can enhance your radiant smile in just a few visits.
Why get a dental veneer?
You may have several reasons for wanting to have dental veneers. Let’s explore a few cases:
- Change the color of your teeth. In cases where whitening has reached its limits, veneers will restore whiteness and brightness to your smile by hiding discoloration. For example, when eating certain foods, smoking, or following medical treatments, teeth can change color and become “yellowish”. It also helps to hide black holes and yellow roots in case of periodontal disease.
- Correct the shape of your teeth. If some of your smile teeth are too small, too short, chipped, or damaged…the installation of dental veneers will allow you to correct these imperfections by restoring a natural shape to the teeth. You will then find a more harmonious smile.
- Align your teeth. Dental veneers can be used to correct certain misalignments (“happy teeth”, backward or rotated incisors). However, they cannot replace orthodontic treatment to move and reposition teeth to achieve perfect alignment.
- Reduce the visibility of visible gums
- Make a narrow smile wider
- Straighten a smile
What are the advantages of dental veneers?
The main advantages of dental veneers are as follows:
- Aesthetic solution
- Non devitalized tooth
- Resistant to food stains
- Extremely resistant to wear and fracture depending on the material used
- Alternative to orthodontics (in certain moderate cases)
Good to know
It is recommended that you have a whitening treatment prior to the application of veneers so that the color of your natural teeth does not alter the color of the veneers applied.
- Veneers have an average life span of 10 years. After this time, they must be replaced.
- The covered tooth is not immune to cavities! Even though dental veneers do not require any particular maintenance, it is important to maintain impeccable oral hygiene
- Teeth must be brushed after each meal
- Brushing must be completed by the use of dental floss
- In case of bruxism (unconscious movements of the jaw or teeth grinding), it will be necessary to wear a nightguard to avoid damaging the veneers.
What are the 3 phases of the dental veneer installation?
1. Examination of the aesthetic project
First of all, we let you explain to us what you don’t like about your teeth and what you would like to correct.
In the context of your vision, the dentist will examine your teeth and your x-rays to determine if veneers are the right aesthetic solution for you. You will then be shown different shades of veneers and helped to choose the color that is best for you.
2. Prepare your teeth for veneers
The next step is to prepare the teeth. In order to bond the veneer properly, the tooth is trimmed by removing half a millimeter of a thickness (this is done under local anesthesia so that you don’t feel anything).
Then, impressions of your teeth are taken and sent to the dental laboratory that will make the veneers in a few days (2 to 5 depending on the number). In the meantime, you will wear temporary veneers to protect your teeth, but also for aesthetic reasons.
3. The installation of the dental veneers
The permanent veneers are placed as soon as they are ready. The dentist checks their color and shape, removes the temporary veneers, and then seals the final veneers with an extremely durable dental cement.
The veneers look completely natural and are resistant to food stains. They can last for many years and only need to be replaced after 15 years or more. They are not prone to decay, but the coated tooth is.
In which cases should I avoid dental veneers?
In certain cases, we advise against dental veneers, notably
- If your teeth are too damaged. Teeth that are too dilapidated or damaged cannot be restored with veneers. It is necessary to resort to prosthetic treatments such as the installation of dental crowns.
- If you suffer from bruxism. A disorder that manifests itself as grinding or clenching of the teeth, which causes premature wear of the teeth. For this reason, dental veneers are not recommended.
- If you suffer from periodontal disease. These are bacterial infections that destroy the supporting tissues of the teeth and cause them to loosen. They must therefore be treated before considering any dental veneers.
Are there any risks involved in wearing a veneer?
Compared to botox and other cosmetic products, dental veneers are not dangerous at all. Although irreversible, its application does not require the use of anesthetic or invasive procedures.
The treatment is however irreversible. The teeth are trimmed slightly so that the veneer can have enough height and thickness to avoid breaking. Once the enamel is filed down, the treatment is not reversible. The veneers, once placed, must be worn for life.
What are the disadvantages of dental veneers?
The main disadvantages of dental veneers are the following:
- Trimming of natural teeth (To avoid breakage, veneers must be of sufficient height and thickness. This requires the teeth to be trimmed)
- Limited resistance due to the thinness of the veneer (compared to a crown for example)
- A solution only for the teeth seen in a the smile (which correspond to the incisors)
- Requires an adapted diet (impossible to crunch in hard food)
- Lasts less (4 to 5 years) than a dental crown (15 to 20 years)
Is there an alternative solution?
Contrary to dental veneers, the zirconia crown is today the care solution that allows for a combination of:
- Aesthetics
- Resistance
- Longevity
- Solidity
- Biocompatibility
- Perfect adaptation to the gum
