Dental veneers are overlays that cover the enamel of damaged or discolored teeth, restoring whiteness and uniformity to the smile. Cosmetic dental veneers are preferably made from porcelain and are a topical treatment that requires not surgery or anesthetic to apply. Getting a veneer is one of the most painless experiences a patient can have in a dental chair, and something that does not need repeated treatments and follow ups if applied by skilled professionals such as the ones on our staff.
Cosmetic dental veneers are often the ideal solution to a less than perfect smile. If teeth are chipped, have small holes, little pits in the surface, or are simply oddly shaped, a crown is a bit too drastic of a treatment to use. Porcelain cosmetic veneers can fit right over the odd shapes and damaged portions of the teeth, creating a smooth, whitened appearance. In minor cases of tooth misalignment, cosmetic dental veneers can also be used as an alternative to braces. This is because they tend to fill out the gaps between teeth by adding a distinctive, proportional shape to each individual tooth to which they are applied. Perhaps their most common use, however, is to correct the problem of severe tooth discoloration that normal cleaning methods cannot correct.
A variety of things can cause the teeth to become stained to the point that they are permanently discolored. Coffee and cigarettes have historically ranked as the highest, most notorious culprits to tooth staining. Some dentists in the past used plastic veneers to whiten the teeth when cleaning proved ineffective, but plastic is a permeable substance and can become stained itself over time. Porcelain cosmetic dental veneers have proven much more resilient and effective than plastic composites. Porcelain is an amazingly hard substance, looks natural and perfectly white, and is too impermeable for even abusive chemicals like coffee and nicotine to damage.
Fewer people are smoking and drinking large amounts of coffee these days, however, and may assume that they will never need cosmetic dental veneers. While this may be true, health-conscious people should be aware that other natural dyes can stain the teeth almost, if not just as badly, as coffee and cigarettes. The new trend to substitute exotic teas for coffee has resulted in people ingesting new, equally powerful dyes that can discolor teeth beyond normal dental cleaning methods to rectify. Also, the many prescription drugs that people often have to take for any number of ailments can often have the unfortunate side effect of staining the teeth. While a person who stains their teeth by drinking too much tea can always switch to bottled water, a person who cannot live without their medication either has to accept a discolored smile, or turn to a cosmetic dental specialist for veneers that will give them a bright new smile that will never fade again.
Not all people who get cosmetic tooth veneers are seeking to correct damaged or chemically-discolored teeth. Some were cavity-prone children in their younger years, and have lived many years as adults with visible amalgam fillings that put dark spots in their smiles. Porcelain veneers, though amazingly tough, are nonetheless thin enough to cover up these cavities.
Remember, the key operative term in cosmetic dental veneer is cosmetic. You do not have to have anything seriously wrong with your teeth to make them look better and more attractive, so call us for a consultation if you desire any level of improvement in your smile.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.massagebyben.com/articles/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites 