We all strive for that perfect smile and sometimes it can take a little more than brushing to fix those dental problems, that’s where veneers come in. These porcelain caps are perfect at covering up those gaps, stains and chips that can appear in our teeth over time.
If you’re not sure if you need this kind of orthodontic treatment, then take a few minutes to peruse some of these points to help you make your mind up about taking this easy step towards a perfect smile.
What are veneers?
Although they may have a rather imposing sounding name, they’re basically a small piece of porcelain that’s placed over your teeth to cover up things like cracks, chips, misaligned teeth and gaps.
They’re custom-made to comfortably fit inside your mouth and are as strong as your natural enamel coating. So, you don’t have to worry about them popping out accidentally as they are much more resilient than you might imagine.
Is it painful?
One of the most common questions patients have about this treatment is, ‘Will it be painful?’
In this case it’s relatively pain-free, although you might have mild discomfort whilst the dentist is creating a gap in your enamel for the porcelain cover.
The process begins when you arrive at your dentist’s surgery, which is when the area being covered will be cleaned, with a small area of enamel being removed as mentioned above. Then the shade of the cover is matched to your other teeth, and an impression of your mouth is taken before it’s sent off to a lab to be used to create the cover. The cap is then cured before being attached to your teeth with an adhesive. It’s then polished and any excess material from the adhesive is cleaned off.
The benefits
There are a lot of great benefits to having this kind of treatment. As an example, the cap is easy to maintain as you just brush it normally as part of your routine, although you should use a non-abrasive brush and toothpaste to avoid damaging it. You can also floss as normal, but just be careful around the treated edges of your teeth.
They’re also long-lasting, so you don’t need to have multiple appointments afterwards. However, your dentist will recommend you follow up with regular check-ups twice yearly anyway just to keep on top of how it’s adjusting to your mouth. Another neat bonus is that the entire procedure is relatively quick, so you don’t need to commit an entire afternoon to sitting in a chair at your local practice.
So, as you can see, there are a lot of neat benefits to trying this procedure. If there’s a part of your smile you want to improve and it’s something that you think you may qualify for, then have a chat on your next appointment. Why not make your smile the best it can be?