There's no reason to put up with gaps in your teeth or with teeth that are stained, badly shaped or crooked. Today a veneer placed on top of your teeth can correct mother nature's mistake or the results of an injury and help you have a beautiful smile.
Yes, porcelain veneers are costly, but we are now working with the seventh generation of porcelain laminates, meaning they're stronger, whiter, and more realistic looking than ever. Unlike the bulky caps of decades past, which required shaving down a significant portion of your natural tooth, today's porcelain veneers can be paper-thin and bonded onto the tooth front. At times, only the smallest amount of natural tooth is required to be reduced before veneer placement. The latest versions are also more translucent. The newer state-of-the-art porcelain veneers (like Empress veneers) allow light to penetrate through, producing a translucency which is very natural looking and attractive.
The process begins with a consultation in which we take digital photos of your mouth and makes images of how the veneers could change your smile. Next, your dentist can create what's known as a trial smile: a temporary acrylic mold made to exactly mimic the look of your final porcelain veneers. You'll wear it for a short time to make sure you like what you see. Finally, the real veneers are placed. The whole process, from consultation to final result, can be completed within a matter of days or weeks.
The advantage of porcelain veneers is that they do not wear down as natural teeth do, and they're completely resistant to stains. The drawback? Once you have them, you must keep them for life, since a protective layer of your natural teeth has been removed. If you get porcelain veneers when you are in your 20s, you will have to have them redone two to three times throughout your life. As you age, your gum line can change and your natural teeth underneath darken, which can make porcelain veneers appear less white. Also, as the standards of whiteness change, patients often want newer, whiter veneers. The procedure can easily be done by drilling off the old porcelain veneers and replacing them with new ones. If you're getting veneers and debating between two shades, always go with the whiter one, because the standards of whiteness just keep getting brighter and brighter.
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