Dental Veneers

If a child knocks the family's cherished porcelain vase off of a shelf, that vase usually ends-up in pieces on the floor. Yet porcelain does not always break so easily. Once it is bonded to a sturdy structure, porcelain becomes strong and durable. That quality of porcelain sheds light on its appeal to the dentist that plans to give a patient a set of dental veneers.

How does a dentist go about attaching a layer of porcelain to the surface of a tooth? The dentist uses materials that have long been familiar to all those who work in a dental office. The dentist uses materials that can bond to tooth enamel.

Not too long ago, dentists would patch-up cracked or chipped teeth by sticking a whitish substance to the tooth enamel. While that did abolish the "problem appearance" of the tooth, it did not always give the patient a winning smile. The patient might feel uncomfortable about smiling, and showing the visibly altered tooth.

Dental veneers have given dentists an alternative way to deal with cracked or chipped teeth. The dentist who plans to give a patient some dental veneers must choose between two types of veneers - composite resin veneers and porcelain veneers.

A dental technician, working in a dental laboratory, can produce either type of veneer. A dentist working at a location in a dental office can make a set of composite veneers. After a dentist makes composite veneers, the dentist does not need a resin, in order to attach that composite material to the tooth enamel. A dentist does need to use a resin, if he or she wants to attach porcelain veneers to a patient's teeth.

A dentist might consult with a patient concerning his or her habits before choosing the type of material to use in that patient's dental veneers. Porcelain veneers last longer than composite veneers, but they are also more expensive. By the same token, certain expensive habits can increase the likelihood that any one patient might need dental veneers.

People who drink an excessive number of soft drinks, or who down countless cups of coffee often get stained teeth. Dental veneers provide such patients with an alternative to teeth whitening. Cigarette smoke and certain medications can also stain teeth, pushing smokers or those with drug-treated illneses to pay the cost of dental veneers.

Older dental patients often inquire about the cost of dental veneers. Teeth can wear down as people grow older. Yet a tooth does not always show its wear and tear to the same degree at every spot on the tooth. Dental veneers give the dentist a way to disguise any uneven wear and tear on a tooth.

Dental veneers can not help a dentist to treat a cavity in a tooth. For that reason the placement of dental veneers belongs among the services offered by cosmetic dentistry. Veneers can give any dental patient a set of white and perfect-looking teeth.

More importantly, dental veneers allow a patient to smile freely, and to show his or her natural-looking teeth.