What Are Cosmetic Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers are a potential option for patients looking to improve certain aspects of their smiles. They are common among those with chipped teeth, minor gaps between teeth or misshapen teeth. They are thin shell coverings that are bonded on the front surface of the teeth. This article provides some basic information you need to know about cosmetic dental veneers.

Uses of Dental veneers

Cosmetic dental veneers are used to fix many dental problems, including:

• Stained teeth that cannot be whitened through bleaching
• Slightly crooked or misshapen teeth
• Chipped or worn
• Uneven spaces or gap between the front teeth

Eligibility for dental veneers

To know if veneers will be effective for the dental issue, the dentist will need to evaluate the patient and discuss all the available treatment options. Any procedure requiring tooth preparation is irreversible, so the dentist might review other options that can achieve the same results but with minimal or no removal of tooth structure. If dental veneers are the best option, the next step would be a review of the treatment process and preparation of the teeth for the veneers.

During the consultation, the patient will participate in creating the treatment. They will be able to share their preference regarding the length, shape with and color of the veneer and the results they want to achieve so that the treatment can meet their expectations. The dentist needs to understand the patient’s smile goals during the consultation before beginning treatment.

Veneer placement – What to expect

The placement of cosmetic dental veneers is usually finished in two dental visits over a six-week duration. The first visit is mostly for examination and tooth preparation. The dentist will check if there are oral health issues that need treatment before placing veneers. They will also choose a suitable color that will ensure the veneers blends in with the rest of the teeth.

For tooth preparation, the dentist will likely administer local anesthetic to make the patient comfortable during the process. The dental professional will reshape the tooth with a small dental device called a bur to make room for the veneer.

If composite resin veneers are used for the procedure, the dentist will apply the correct shade of composite to the teeth, shape the tooth and harden it with a high-intensity light. Extra layers of the composite may be placed over the teeth to rebuild the tooth’s structure to the right shape, length and form of the smile. When the dentist is satisfied with the composite layer, they will finish and polish the veneers to give it the natural sheen of regular teeth.

If the treatment requires porcelain veneers, the dentist will make impressions of the teeth after preparing the teeth. The impression may be transferred to the dental lab that will produce the veneers. Some dentists have an in-office lab to create veneers, which reduces the waiting period. The veneer will be applied after production.

In conclusion

Cosmetic dental veneers are excellent options for patients who want a beautiful and attractive smile. Individuals that might benefit from the procedure should book an appointment with the dentist for a consultation.

Request an appointment here: https://www.implantdentalbellevue.com or call Bellevue Implant & Cosmetic Dentistry at (425) 249-9186 for an appointment in our Bellevue office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Dental Veneers and Dental Laminates in Bellevue, WA.