After the teeth whitening procedure, fitting porcelain veneers is perhaps the most popular cosmetic dental treatment that we offer. In most instances, these are used to improve the colour of the patient’s teeth, but, as we will see, they can also be of benefit for other reasons too. Although sometimes requiring some invasive dentistry, this is relatively minimal and we will discuss the implications during your initial consultation at the 103 Dental and Implant Practice.
We hope that today’s blog offers a little insight into this useful procedure and, as always, we are always available if you have any further questions about it before booking a consultation with us at our Edinburgh New Town dental clinic.
One way some people describe them is like a false fingernail for the teeth. This is not entirely accurate but gives a basic idea. Like a false fingernail, they are attached to the front of the teeth to improve them. The reality is a little more complex though as you would expect with teeth, which contain nerves, unlike fingernails.
After examining your teeth, and presuming the ‘go ahead’ has been given to fit veneers, the dentist will, in some cases, need to remove a very fine layer of enamel from the front of the teeth in question. Once this has been done, impressions will be made which are used by a dental laboratory to create your veneer. This can take a week or so and you will be fitted with a temporary veneer in the meantime to protect the tooth. Once the veneer has been returned to our practice, you will be recalled to have it fitted.
During this appointment, the temporary veneer will be removed and your new veneer attached using a special adhesive. Finally, your new veneer will be trimmed and polished to give it a natural looking but attractive appearance.
Probably the majority of cases for fitting veneers is when people have badly stained or discoloured teeth. While a teeth whitening procedure can be excellent for mild to moderate staining or discolouration, those with more heavily discoloured teeth may only get a limited benefit from it. Dental veneers are then an excellent option and will last for approximately ten years (and often more) before needing to be replaced.
Not only are veneers excellent for whitening teeth but also for any teeth that have become chipped or have visible cracks in them. Finally, anyone who has suffered from enamel erosion of the teeth, perhaps from drinking too many acidic drinks, is likely to be suffering from often painfully sensitive teeth. Veneers are an excellent way to treat this.
Finally, veneers can sometimes be used for minor orthodontic correction such as to close a small gap between the top two front teeth (diastema). This may not always be the case and sometimes orthodontics will be needed, but it is an option that can sometimes be used.
Once fitted, veneers are straightforward to look after. By and large, you just need to brush and floss as you usually (hopefully) do. Although porcelain is a stain resistant material, it is still good to brush them. Most importantly though, it is essential that you brush and floss the natural part of the veneer fitted tooth too. If you don’t, and tooth decay occurs, any filling that you have can change the shape of the tooth and the veneer may become less secure.
You may have heard tales of veneers coming away from the teeth. This is rare, and avoiding habits such as biting pens or fingernails or chewing ice will help to prevent it. In the event that a veneer does come away from the tooth; under no circumstances should you reattach it yourself and especially using a household adhesive. These can be extremely harmful and corrosive for your teeth. If it does happen, keep the veneer safe and call us straight away to make a prompt dental appointment in Edinburgh to have it reattached.
Dental veneers are among the treatments that some people travel abroad to have done in order to save money. This is very risky indeed as those who wound up with ‘Turkey teeth’ will attest. It really isn’t worth risking your teeth at the hands of an inexperienced or lesser trained dentist. We have a range of payment plans here to help you spread the cost of any treatments that you have so please ask us about this if this will help you.
As always, we hope that you find these blogs useful and, if you do have any questions, whether about veneers or any other treatment that we offer, please do get in touch. You can contact us via the form on our website or by contacting the 103 Dental and Implant Practice on 0131 608 3219.
