Dental Veneers

Teeth veneers are also becoming more popular as an alternative to crowns. Veneers are very thin pieces of specially-shaped (to your teeth) porcelain or plastic that is glued over the front of the teeth to provide a cure for teeth that are chipped, severely discolored or have small pits. Unwanted or uneven spaces between teeth can also be corrected by veneers. The difference between tooth veneers and crowns is that tooth veneers require the dentist to remove quite a large portion of the tooth itself before the veneers can be fitted. However, veneers are very strong and durable and will last from ten to fifteen years. After this time period, your veneers will have to be replaced but unlike natural teeth, you will not have to worry that your tooth veneer will change color or darken since this does not really happen if you take care of them.

Veneers are made out of ceramic that resembles a natural tooth with the most commonly used materials being composite resin and porcelain. The veneers are created by taking an impression of your teeth, which will be used as a model in crafting the tooth veneer. Cosmetic dentists place the veneers on the teeth with water or glycerin to verify their shape and color. Then the veneer is placed on the tooth with glue and a light beam is used to harden the glue/cement.

The life span of your tooth veneers will largely depend on how well you take care of them; with thorough oral hygiene you maximize the duration of your existing veneers. Caring for veneers is not really complicated; all you have to do is perform good oral hygiene practices - just like you would with natural teeth (brush twice a day and floss). With veneers, it is better to avoid eating food or drinking beverages that are extremely hot or cold since this could damage your teeth.