One of the best things about dental veneers is that they can fix your smile’s appearance in several different ways. They can save you from needing multiple procedures to address different issues. Besides appearance, veneers are also beneficial due to the fact that they don’t require extensive tooth preparation. They also can help your front teeth remain stronger and sturdier. As such, veneers can often be just as ideal for addressing more serious tooth concerns, such as chipped or cracked teeth that need to be restored.
More about Dental Veneers
A dental veneer is a thin shell designed to cover the front surface of your tooth. Doing so allows the veneer to rejuvenate the visible surfaces of the tooth. The porcelain is highly durable, it can even address issues with your tooth’s structural integrity. For instance, to prevent a chipped edge or cracked surface from becoming worse, your dentist can permanently bond a lifelike veneer to the tooth, restoring its function and reestablishing your bite’s proper balance.
Are Dental Veneers Right for Me?
While veneers can offer a highly esthetic and more conservative option than a dental crown in some cases, they work best for teeth that are damaged on or near their front surfaces. However, if your tooth is significantly fractured or if a piece has broken off, then your dentist might recommend a custom designed teeth cap to completely cap the tooth, instead.
When there is mild to moderate dental damage, such as craze lines, chipped teeth, or fractured cusps, it can often be treated with dental veneers. However, severe damage – like vertical cracks, split teeth, and vertical root fractures – will likely require more extensive restorative procedures. During a consultation, Fondriest can determine if dental veneers are appropriate for you.
Our patients can choose the translucency, surface texture, and brightness of the porcelain used for their smile.
Benefits of Dental Veneers
Veneers offer a number of advantages for the right patients. In fact, few cosmetic treatments offer the results and benefits that porcelain veneers deliver. Here are a few of the most notable advantages:
- Veneers reflect light similarly to natural enamel. Because veneers are layered with tooth colored medical grade ceramic, they offer optimal translucency and opalescence. This offers truly lifelike results. In fact, once in place, they are virtually indistinguishable from your natural teeth.
- Veneers are stain resistant. Porcelain smile improvements don’t stain like tooth enamel does. Therefore, your veneers can remain bright and dazzling for many years to come.
- Veneers are stronger and more durable than composite resin. Tooth surface chips and cracks can also be repaired with cosmetic dental bonding. However, the composite resin used in this procedure is not as strong as porcelain. In addition, composite is more opaque. As a result, the outcome is not as natural. Resin is not strong enough when closing large gaps between teeth.
How long does a Veneer take?
It depends on what type and what quality level of veneer you are getting. The average dental office can deliver your teeth covers the same day or within two weeks. Only a mass production dental lab can return a case in two weeks. If treatment is completed in one day, the dentist is doing the ceramics.
Few dentists are excellent at doing ceramics. There is an old saying, “It is possible to be great at a few things, but being excellent at everything is unlikely”! This applies to dentists trying to be technicians also.
A dentist who is an expert in esthetics will work with an expert ceramist to make veneers. The highest quality labs take more time. The very best lab artists are much in demand. It can take 4-20 weeks after the impression appointment to return a finished feldspathic restoration. Veneers cost more when made at these standards. When the lab is finished, the dentist will bond them into your mouth.
What is the lifespan of dental veneers?
Many patients want to know how long their veneers will last. On average, veneers last between five and 15 years. However, dental materials are constantly being improved. As a result, many of our patients have enjoyed their veneers for over 20 years. High quality veneers will last longer. We can show you how to properly care for your veneers and maximize their wear. Brushing and flossing is advised to prevent decay and gum disease.
This smile makeover was done in a 3 step process. The patient did not like that so much gum was exposed and that the gum line was uneven. She had a gum lift to improve the shape of the gums. When the gum work was complete, we covered over her teeth with very thin veneers.
What is the treatment process like?
Dental veneer treatment can be completed in two phases at our Chicago office. During the first visit, Dr. Fondriest will sometimes remove a small amount of enamel. The amount removed depends on what type of veneer is being created. Impressions are made of your mouth and photos are taken of your smile. These images are then sent to our dental laboratory, where a trained ceramist crafts your new veneers. If little to no enamel is removed, temporary veneers are not needed.
Once your veneers have been fabricated, we will schedule you for a second office visit. During this appointment, Dr. Fondriest will assess the fit, color, and appearance of your new dental veneers, then bond them permanently into place.
Enjoy Dental Veneers While Protecting Your Enamel
Thanks to modern advancements, veneers can be made of durable porcelain that is crafted thinner than before. This allows dentists to preserve more of the healthy tooth, while still placing veneers that sit naturally within the smile allowing for great confidence. If you are looking for a smile solution that will create noticeable but also natural looking smile enhancements, no-prep veneers are a great solution. Dental veneers tend to last a very long time.
With proper care, these veneers can transform your smile and last for a couple decades, too.
Learn more how dental veneers can improve your smile
Both men and women are asking for this treatment. Learn about your options in cosmetic dentistry Chicago. If your tooth is damaged, then you may be able to fix it with a lifelike veneer rather than a more comprehensive crown. Photos help the viewer understand whet veneers can do.
For information about optimal oral health and how to enhance your smile, schedule a consultation by calling us at 847-234-0517. In addition to the metropolitan Chicago area, we also proudly serve residents of the Northwest and North Shore suburbs.
Dr Fondriest is a Nationally recognized and highly sought after cosmetic dentist. He serves clients from throughout the United States