Do you have worn tooth enamel that has dulled naturally over time because of habits like drinking coffee, smoking, or using certain medications? Your teeth may have worn due to age and even developed chips or cracks to give them an uneven appearance. Your worn or uneven teeth may prevent you from smiling and make you wonder whether you can ever restore your teeth to their original appearance again.
Fortunately, you can because natural-looking porcelain veneers are excellent façades to hide your damaged and worn teeth customized for your mouth and bonded to your damaged tooth surfaces. Veneers fall into the category of cosmetic dentistry. However, they also have protective qualities helping you eliminate the need for expensive treatments while providing an enhanced smile appearance.
Are You a Candidate for Porcelain Veneers?
Your dental imperfections by themselves don’t make you a candidate for porcelain veneers. To determine whether you qualify for the procedure, you must visit dentist in 60617 to evaluate your oral health and teeth and discuss all available treatment options to restore them. In addition, if you are eligible for porcelain veneers, you must undergo an irreversible tooth preparation process. Therefore you must discuss whether these veneers are your best option and review the treatment details to satisfy your goal.
During your consultation, you actively participate in the smile designing process. The discussion with your dentist will help you share your preferences for the shape, length, width, and color of the placements and the changes in appearance you want the dentist to create. You must make the dentist understand your objectives of undergoing the treatment during your initial consultation.
What to Expect During the Veneer Procedure?
Expect the porcelain veneer procedure to be completed in two or three visits over the course of six weeks. The visits to the dentist are comprehensive and will require several hours of examination and tooth preparation. The tooth preparation procedure is uncomfortable and will likely cause you pain. However, dental offices have amenities like local anesthesia, sedation, audiovisual distractions besides other amenities to help you remain relaxed during the preparation.
The porcelain veneer procedure proceeds in several steps. Firstly the dentist administers local anesthesia to make you comfortable during the tooth preparation process. The preparation is required to accommodate the surface you need on the tooth. Your natural tooth undergoes the preparation by reshaping it with tiny handheld instruments removing enamel from the tops and sides besides some dentin. As you prefer porcelain veneers, the dentist impressions your prepared tooth for the dental laboratory to custom create your façades. You receive temporary veneers over the prepared tooth as protection until the dental laboratory returns your permanent surfaces.
You revisit the dentist, scheduling another appointment after the dental lab returns your permanent porcelain veneers. During the second appointment, the dentist begins the procedure by giving you local anesthesia and removing the temporary mask. The new surfaces are checked for color and fit before they are permanently cemented to the targeted tooth to improve its appearance and your smile.
Recovering from the Porcelain Veneer Process
Porcelain veneers are incredibly durable and will remain in your mouth for nearly two decades before needing replacements. However, you must maintain excellent oral hygiene and visit your dentist for regular exams and cleanings to maintain the health of your mouth and the longevity of the placements.
After-care is essential following veneer placements. Porcelain veneers are prone to chipping and fracturing. However, repairing them is impossible, and your dentist advises you on the costs and time associated with replacing your damaged restorations.
You must reduce the risk of damaging the porcelain veneers by avoiding biting or chewing complex objects like nuts, shells, or bones and preventing using your teeth to open or tear packages. In addition, your dentist might advise you to avoid certain detrimental foods that can create damages.
You can continue maintaining your dental hygiene, as usual, brushing and flossing but ensuring you use a non-abrasive toothpaste. Porcelain veneers are stain-resistant. Therefore discoloring them from foods or beverages is significantly reduced. However, it helps if you brush after drinking wine, coffee, tea, or sodas.
Taking Care of Your New Smile
You Must take care not to damage your porcelain veneers because they are thin and are prone to breakages. Your dentist advises you against having certain foods like carrots and recommends you wear a protective night guard while shipping if you are affected by bruxism. Follow your dentist’s instructions diligently to have the restorations on your teeth for nearly two decades or more.