Veneers
When it comes to completely making over the look of a smile, porcelain veneers are one of the most effective and popular cosmetic dentistry treatment options available. They can fix a variety of cosmetic concerns to completely refresh and revitalize your smile.
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are thin, wafer-like porcelain shells that are shaped like two-dimensional teeth. Veneers are applied to the front of each tooth, like a wood veneer on a piece of furniture, to mask imperfections and makeover the appearance of a smile.
What Issues Do Porcelain Veneers Address?
Porcelain veneers are a powerful cosmetic treatment as they can completely change the look of a person’s smile. Plus, porcelain is the most natural-looking material used in prosthetic dentistry, making porcelain the ideal choice of material for veneers.
Porcelain veneers are often used to:
- Cover chips, cracks, fractures, and silver-colored fillings
- Mask stains and discoloration
- Create a brighter, whiter, and evenly colored smile
- Correct the shape or size of a tooth
- Improve the symmetry of a smile
- Create a straight-looking smile
- Fill in gaps between the teeth
Porcelain veneers are a purely cosmetic dental treatment, as they do not provide any restorative or health benefits to the teeth.
What to Expect When Getting Porcelain Veneers
The step when getting porcelain veneers is to have a consultation with our prosthodontist. During this consultation, Dr. Bock talks with the patient about their treatment goals and ideal smile aesthetics. We then take 3D digital impressions to design the patient’s new set of veneers.
When the veneers are ready to be placed, the patient comes in for their porcelain veneer appointment. This appointment begins with the administration of a local anesthetic to ensure the patient experiences no sensitivity or pain during the appointment.
We then prepare the surfaces of the teeth for the veneers. This involves shaving off a thin layer of enamel so that the porcelain veneers have room to attach to the teeth. The veneers are then permanently cemented to the fronts of the patient’s teeth. Once set, the patient is ready to go and enjoy showing off their new smile.
How Long Do Porcelain Veneers Last?
Porcelain veneers are a permanent dental treatment. With proper care, porcelain veneers typically last around 10 to 15 years. If a veneer becomes damaged, our prosthodontist can simply remove the damaged veneer and replace it with a new one.
You can prolong their lifespan by avoiding putting excessive pressure, wear, and tear on them. Avoid chewing on hard objects or foods like ice or pen caps. Additionally, you should wear a nightguard if you suffer from sleep bruxism (clenching the jaw or grinding the teeth during sleep). Plus, wear an athletic mouthguard if you participate in athletic activities during which your teeth could be damaged due to an impact or fall.
Porcelain Veneers With Our Prosthodontist in Loveland, CO
Porcelain veneers are an excellent way to improve the look of your smile. If you would like to change the look of your smile and refresh your appearance with a set of porcelain veneers, we welcome you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Andrew Bock at Northern Colorado Prosthetic Dentistry.
