These are thin shells of colored materials that are customized and made to cover the front surface of a tooth to boost your appearance. The shells are fixed on the front teeth to give them a different shape, color, length, or size.

The veneers are manufactured from resin or porcelain. The Porcelain veneers are more resistant to stains when compared to those made from resin composite materials. They also mimic the features of real teeth. It is important to talk about an ideal veneer with the dentist.

The dental veneers help hide discolored teeth, broken or chipped teeth, worn down, misaligned, uneven, and the gap between teeth.

The procedure of getting veneers

Getting the veneers, you need to visit a dentist in about three trips. The first trip is to consult, make and fix the dental veneers. Fixing veneers may need the following steps:

Diagnosis

This is also the initial stage which will involve your participation. Explain to the dentist what you want to achieve after the veneers are fixed. The dentist will check the teeth and ensure that the veneers are ideal for your teeth and explain what the process will look like and its disadvantages. He will do X-rays and make models of the teeth and mouth.

Preparation

The dentist will take off about 0.5mm of the enamel; this is equal to the veneer thickness to be fixed to the surface of the tooth. Before taking off part of the enamel, he will decide if you will need an anesthetic to make the area numb. The dentist will then make an impression or model of the tooth. The model will be sent to the lab, where the veneer will be made. This will take up to 4 weeks for the dentist to get the veneers from the lab.

Bonding

Before cementing the veneers, the dentist will place them on the tooth to see if it will fit and it’s color. The dentist will then take them off and trim as required to get the required size. The color can be regulated using the cement used in fixing them. Next, the dentist will prepare the teeth to fix the veneers; he will then clean, polish, and etch the tooth. A unique cement is used on the veneer before it is fixed on the tooth. After fixing it well, a light beam is applied to the veneer, to activate the cement chemicals and make it hard.

Lastly, the dentist will remove any extra cement, evaluate the bite, and make final adjustments if necessary. He will request you to go back for checkups after a few weeks to examine how the gums are reacting to the veneer and examine the veneer’s replacement.

How expensive are veneers?

In most cases, the veneers are not covered by the insurance. This is because they are considered as a beauty procedure. Traditional veneers can cost an average of $925-$2500 per tooth and can last up to 15 years. The no-prep veneers can cost $800-$2000 per tooth and can last up to 7 years. The traditional veneers are considered to be cost-effective.

The cost of the veneers will also depend on various factors like the type of veneers that you want, the brand name of the available veneers, the cost of living in your area, and the expertise of the dentist.

Benefits of dental veneers

One of the top benefit is that they improve the appearance of the teeth, offering an even and brighter smile. The dental veneers are often used to fix the following issues:

  •       Chipped or broken teeth
  •       Discolored teeth
  •       Teeth with gaps
  •       Smaller teeth
  •       Uneven or pointed teeth

The veneers can last up to 15 years, depending on the type of veneers that you choose. This can be a long term investment that can make you more confident when smiling.

How to take care of the veneers

Unlike other procedures, the healing process does not take a long time. Once the veneers are fixed and any anesthetics wear off, you can bite and eat as normal. Be careful not to chew the tongue or cheeks while the anesthetic is wearing off.

You may notice that the veneers feel a little rough immediately after they are fixed. The rough feeling is from the extra cement that may adhere to the veneer. The rough spots will smoothen after a few days of eating and brushing teeth. If they don’t get smooth, you can see the dentist make them smooth.

Precautions

The traditional veneers can last up to 15 years, and the no-prep veneers can last up to 7 years. You can take some precautions to help make sure that they last longer. Some of the precautions include:

  •       Don’t bite or chew hard items like ice, pens, and metals.
  •       Don’t use your teeth to open condiment packages or any packaging.
  •       Wear a mouthguard when playing sports.
  •       Get a splint or retainer to protect the veneers if you clench or grind teeth at night.
  •       Avoid chewing with the front teeth. Eat hard foods with the back teeth cut up hard foods like sugarcane or chocolate bars into small pieces.

If you have unappealing teeth, the veneers will sort you by offering you a natural smile. The veneers are not cheap but can help to boost your smile and confidence. If you don’t know the number of veneers that you may need, the dentist will help you to decide whether you have to pay for 2-5 porcelain veneers or 5-10 veneers. The more veneers you get, the higher the cost.

 

The risk of spoiling the teeth under the veneers is high; in this case, root canals may be necessary, which will increase the total cost. Before you choose the width, shape, length, and color of the veneers, the dentist may recommend whitening the teeth. Porcelain veneers cannot be whitened, and the only option to adjust their appearance is to redo them. You can have your teeth whitened first before fixing the veneers. This will help you to achieve a long term aesthetic and a confident smile.