Are Dental Veneers the Right Choice for You?

Even if you take good care of your teeth, it’s not always possible to maintain a radiant smile. Time, injury, medications, and other factors can affect the look of our teeth and decrease our smile confidence. At Smith Family and Cosmetic Dentistry with locations in Sneads Ferry, Goldsboro, and other parts of NC, we offer dental veneers to fix teeth and boost our clients’ confidence.

Lots of the things that we eat and drink every day can cause staining to the teeth, as can habits like smoking. Often these stains can be removed by whitening treatments, but for some, you may need veneers. Some medications, such as certain antibiotics taken as a child, can lead to intrinsic staining of the teeth. This means that the discoloration is part of a tooth, and not merely on its surface. For those who have intrinsic staining that has not been successfully treated with whitening processes, dental veneers can be a great option to get a radiant smile.

Sometimes if a tooth is broken, a dentist can perform a repair with dental cement. However, this is not always possible. If the breakage or chip is in the front of your mouth and is too small for a dental cement repair to adhere properly, but is not severe enough to require extraction and a dental implant, then a veneer can repair the tooth to give you back a functional bite and your smile confidence.

Not all of us had the opportunity to have orthodontic treatment as children, and some of us who did find that, now we’re older, our teeth have shifted. In addition, not all of us want to undergo the process of getting braces now that we are older. If you have small gaps or slightly misaligned or misshapen teeth, veneers can be used to improve their appearance and close up small gaps, giving you a more even smile.

The first step in getting dental veneers is to book a consultation with us. When you come for consultation, you will have the opportunity to discuss the reasons you’re looking to get this treatment and what your hopes are for the procedure. It may be that a different treatment may be a better fit to fulfill your needs, in which case we will discuss that with you and suggest alternative options.

In order to prepare your teeth for veneers, your teeth will be cleaned, and then our dentist will remove around a millimeter of enamel from the surface of your tooth. This is so that the veneers will fit over your teeth naturally without crowding your mouth. They will then take an impression of your mouth and teeth to make a mold. The mold is sent to a dental laboratory, where an expert dental technician will custom-make the veneers to fit perfectly over your teeth.

When your veneers are ready, you will come in to have them fitted onto your teeth. One of our dentists will use a fast-acting dental cement to stick the veneer onto the tooth.

Before you leave your appointment, your dentist will check to make sure that your bite is correct and that there are no sharp edges. However, it can take a little time to get used to the feeling of something new inside your mouth, so don’t worry if the veneers feel a little strange to begin with. If you find that they are uncomfortable when you are eating, or have any other concerns after you have gone home from your fitting appointment, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Veneers are made out of porcelain. That might not sound very strong, but it is! When the veneers are stuck onto the fronts of your teeth with fast-acting dental cement, they will be just as strong as real teeth.

Absolutely! We believe that dentistry is not just a science, it’s an art. Our process is as far away from a one-size-fits-all approach as it’s possible to be. When you come for veneers, we will discuss the sort of look that you want, and you will have the opportunity to choose the color of porcelain that you want for the veneers.

If you are getting the veneer on just one or two teeth then we will match that to the color of your other teeth, but if you’re getting all your front teeth veneered, then you may want to go for a brighter white than you had before. Rest assured, you’ll have all the time and information that you need to make an informed decision.

One of the best parts of this treatment is that once the veneers are bonded to your teeth, that’s it. You don’t need to care for them any differently from your other teeth, but just brush and floss like you would ordinarily. If anything, they’re easier to care for than your original teeth, as the porcelain is slightly more stain-resistant than your natural tooth enamel.

In addition to your usual dental hygiene routine, you should not bite non-food items such as pens or fingernails. You should avoid opening packets with your teeth. These kinds of movements can weaken the dental cement that binds the veneer to your tooth underneath and cause it to become detached.

If your issues with your teeth are primarily a dissatisfaction with their color, then the best option to improve that may be to have whitening treatments. While it is possible to buy whitening treatment supplies over the counter, it is both safer and more effective to have these treatments done by one of our qualified professionals.

When you come for whitening, we first conduct a thorough evaluation of your teeth to make sure nothing needs to be put right before treatment, then make bleaching trays customized to the unique shape of your teeth. We will also make sure that the treatment does not cause any irritation to sensitive teeth and gums.

If you have more significant issues, such as a missing tooth or severe tooth damage, then you may need a crown or dental implant. A crown is a tooth-shaped cap that sits on top of a damaged tooth, and a dental implant is a tooth-shaped replacement for a missing or severely damaged tooth that is anchored in the bone of your jaw just like your original tooth. 

When you come to discuss your dental situation with us, we will go through all the options with you and may suggest a combination of veneers, crowns, and implants in order to get the solution that suits you best. 

If you have stained, uneven, or broken teeth that are causing you pain, difficulty, or a loss in confidence, then you may very well be a good candidate for dental veneers. To find out whether this or another dental treatment may be suitable for you, get in touch with us at Smith Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Sneads Ferry, Goldsboro, and other NC locations.