What are Veneers?

Before you can determine if dental veneers are appropriate for your smile, it is important to understand what they are and how they improve your smile.

The simple definition of a veneer is a covering that hides the flaws on your natural teeth with the purpose of protecting the tooth and improving the aesthetic appeal of the tooth. Depending on the current appearance of your teeth, the number of veneers that you need to feel confident in your smile may vary.

The reason that veneers improve the appearance of your smile is based on the materials that are used. A veneer is often made out of specialized materials that are adjusted to match the color of your teeth. When the veneer is placed over a tooth, it will look like the real tooth when you smile.

What Veneers Can Correct

Veneers are not always the appropriate solution to correct your smile. By recognizing when it is appropriate to consider veneers, you can determine it if might help improve the appearance of your teeth or if other solutions are a necessity.

The problems that may be corrected with a dental veneer include:

• Gaps in your teeth
• Unsightly discoloration on one or more teeth
• A tooth that is crooked
• A tooth that is misshaped
• Severe staining on your teeth
• Chipped teeth
• Broken teeth

Although some of the problems that a veneer can help correct may require more work than just the application of the veneer, it is useful when you have aesthetic concerns related to your teeth.

A veneer can help protect your teeth from further damage when any underlying problems are already corrected. For example, a broken or chipped tooth may require work to protect the tooth from decay and sensitivity before putting on a veneer.

Advantages of Veneers

The benefits of putting in veneers over alternative solutions make it worth considering for your teeth. Veneers go much further than simply providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

The primary advantage is the appearance. A veneer looks like your original tooth, but without the flaws or problems. It will cover up the flaws without looking fake. The materials used to create a veneer are designed to resist fading or staining, which ensures that it looks amazing for years.

Stain resistance is another key benefit that makes veneers a useful part of any aesthetic dental work you may be considering. Unlike other alternative adhesive solutions, veneers will not become stained over time. Enjoy your favorite beverages and foods without worrying about unsightly stains or gradual fading that makes your veneer look fake. It will not stain easily.

Although the aesthetic benefits make it a useful way to get the smile that you want, the process of adhering the veneer to your tooth is minimally invasive. While a small amount of shaping is required to create the look that you want, veneers are very thin and can fit to your teeth easily. It will not take a long time to apply your new veneers and the amount of preparation is limited. The amount of shaping and adjustment to your teeth is much less than alternative solutions.

The ability to match your veneers to the rest of your teeth is another key benefit that makes it useful for your aesthetic concerns. The materials that create your new veneers are developed so that they match the rest of your teeth. If you are correcting one or two teeth, then it will result in an even appearance that improves your smile.