Dental veneers have been around for many years now and still a common treatment option for a variety of cosmetic dental problems. In this blog post we take a detailed look at some of the common questions and answers about this popular treatment choice.
What are teeth veneers?
Teeth or dental veneers are usually made of one of 2 materials, either composite resin or ceramic. They are an extremely thin layer which sits over the front surface of your natural tooth and is custom designed to fit your tooth perfectly.
Veneers can be used to straighten, whiten and correct problems such as chips and pits in teeth . They can also be used to change the shape of teeth which is a common reason for using a veneer. The best veneers shape will be discussed with you prior to treatment so that you can be sure to have the results you are looking for.
Sometimes the natural tooth needs to be trimmed down slightly to accept the new veneer although this is not always necessary, depending upon your clinical situation.
Even though veneers look extremely natural you still need to maintain good oral hygiene to ensure your new veneers last as long as possible.
Do veneers make teeth look bigger?
Veneers do not necessarily make teeth look bigger. Sometimes veneers are used because teeth are too small in this case a big are looking to is desirable.
If veneers are used to fill spaces between teeth then they can also make the teeth look slightly bigger but this should be taken into account during the diagnostic phase of your treatment, so it should not come as any surprise.
if a veneer is going to be used to change the shape, colour or position of the tooth and it is dealt that it might make your teeth look to make them very often a small amount of natural tooth will be removed. This then allows the dental technician and dentist to rebuild this tooth in the correct alignment, position or colour without making the tooth look too big.
One area that many people overlook is their face shape. Your face shape whether it be round, square or triangular will be reflected in the shape of your teeth and it’s important to make sure that your teeth fit with your overall features.
Can a teeth gap be hidden by veneers?
Yes. Spaces between teeth can easily be closed with dental veneers, sometimes these veneers are manufactured by a dental technician and other times will be instant veneers placed directly by your dentist.
Should I get dental veneers or dental bonding?
Sometimes dental bonding is thought of as a less permanent option than dental veneers, if the dental bonding is additive only, by that we mean no natural tooth has been removed and the composite has been added to the surface of the tooth exclusively then you may be able to have the composite bonding removed. However you should not rely on this and you should always consider any form of veneer to be a permanent restoration.
One of the advantages of bonding is its immediate results, your dentist will apply the bonding composite directly to your tooth surface whilst you are in the dental chair, this will be to the correct colour and tooth shape that you require. Ceramic veneers on the other hand can take up to 2 weeks to be made by a dental technician.
The advantage of ceramic veneers is that they are far more hard wearing and won’t collect stain as can sometimes happen with composite bonding.
What are porcelain veneers? What are their pros and cons?
What options are available to change the shape of teeth?
Is it a bad idea to veneer healthy teeth?
The mantra of a good dentist will always be to maintain as much natural and healthy tooth structure as possible and to keep your teeth as fit and healthy as we can. However this guiding principle needs to be balanced with the desire to have a confident smile, your perfect smile is not always something you’re born with..
Your dentist will always look for as many alternatives is possible to achieve your cosmetic result with out damaging the teeth in any way, however if extensive cosmetic alterations to your smile, such as crooked teeth or dark teeth are required then it is inevitable that the teeth may require some trimming down in order to accept the new dental veneer.
Is there any way to remove the veneers from my teeth?
Veneers can be removed however it is an extremely difficult and time-consuming procedure to undertake. The question then also needs to be asked, what will go on in their place?
If the veneers were only added onto the surface of your natural teeth without any reduction of trimming of the underlying teeth then it may be possible to remove them, however if the underlying tooth has had enamel removed, as is normal, then it will not be possible to remove the veneers as you will need a permanent covering over the surface of the teeth.
How to get rid of ugly yellow teeth?
There are a few options to get rid of ugly teeth:
- Teeth whitening. Even if you have a single yellow tooth then teeth whitening can still be undertaken on that tooth alone. Teeth whitening can also whiten all of your teeth if they are all too yellow.
- Dental bonding. Sometimes teeth whitening is not able to whiten teeth enough on its own and additional treatments such as bonding are required. Dental bonding will then use a lighter coloured bonding material which is placed on the outside of your teeth to cover up the ugly yellow tooth underneath.
- Dental veneers. In the event of exceptionally dark yellow teeth and dental and maybe the only option. It is possible to make ceramic dental veneers with a small amount of opacity to them which will cover up the ugly yellow teeth underneath.
How much do dental veneers cost?
The cost of dental veneers varies enormously depending on:
- the type of veneer you have
- the skills and experience of the dentist
It takes many years to train to understand all the nuances of being a cosmetic dentist and to have the necessary experience to be able to provide natural dental veneers which last many years. It’s also worth noting that you will be using your new dental veneers all of the time and are therefore a definite investment in yourself.
Many people will happily pay many thousands of pounds for a new car and yet that car begins to devalue immediately and will probably only last a few years. Dental veneers will last considerably longer, up to 20 years and are often much cheaper than a car!
Porcelain veneers are available for around £850 per tooth wear as composite bonding is available from around £250 per tooth.
For the front 6 teeth you are therefore looking at just over £5000 for the top 6 teeth to be redesigned with dental veneers. Compare this to the price of a car and how long that car will last and veneers suddenly are far more affordable.
Many practices also offer interest-free finance or interest-bearing finance, in this example above dental veneers would cost £107.11 per month over 60 months. *
Certainly a much more affordable way of having a brighter and more attractive smile.
Subject to status. Conditions apply. Representative example. Cash price of goods/amount of credit £5100; 60 monthly payments of £107.11; Total amount repayable £6426.57; Representative 9.9% APR variable.
