Porcelain veneers close up gaps in front teeth, even out tooth size, restore damaged enamel, and cover up stubborn stains.
But veneers do have a couple of drawbacks. You might wonder: “could veneers harm my teeth?”
The Downsides of Dental Veneers
Once your first get your porcelain veneers put on, your teeth will likely feel a little sensitive. The dentist has to remove a thin layer of enamel from the front of your teeth. The sensitivity should go away with time as your teeth adjust, but if it doesn’t, there are dental products and treatments that can provide relief.
Another drawback of dental veneers is the fact that the process requires removing a thin layer of enamel from the teeth slated to get veneers. This is an irreversible process and one of the reasons some claim that veneers are “bad.” Removing a small layer of enamel is essential to secure the veneer and create a smooth finish. Simply putting a porcelain veneer on top of existing enamel will make the tooth feel too big and you’d have trouble closing your lips together.
The drawback to this process is that if your veneer falls off, you have to have it replaced or crown your tooth. Once that enamel layer is gone, you can’t leave your exposed tooth as-is ever again or it will suffer from sensitivity and be prone to decay.
Successful Veneer Treatment
Consult with an experienced cosmetic dentist before you dive into getting veneers. Ask how you can prepare for veneers and about temporary or reversible veneer alternatives. Taking good care of your restorations for years to come will help keep your new smile healthy.
Posted on behalf of:
Pure Smiles Dentistry
2655 Dallas Highway Suite 510
Marietta, GA 30064
770.422.8776
If you have short teeth that need to be restored, then you may be a candidate for a procedure called “crown lengthening.”
How to Make Teeth Longer
Dental crowns are very effective restorations that fix teeth with root canals or large cavities. But you can’t cap a tooth when there isn’t much of it there! In that case, the dentist will lengthen your tooth to provide more surface area for a crown to hold onto.
Crown lengthening usually involves trimming away a portion of gum tissue around a tooth. Sometimes, even the bone around a tooth also has to be reduced down. This exposes more of the tooth for treatment.
Do You Need Crown Lengthening?
You might qualify for crown lengthening if you just don’t like the look of your teeth, because they’re worn down. Your dentist can comfortably remove some of the excess gum tissue to give you a fuller smile. Cosmetic crown lengthening is often followed up with porcelain dental veneers.
In other cases, crown lengthening is a necessity. Fractured or severely decayed teeth often need crowns. But some teeth are so damaged that they can’t be capped. A dentist needs to expose more of the tooth in order to get a secure fit for the crown.
If you have any flat, broken, or otherwise stubby-looking teeth, then crown lengthening may be an option.
It’s a procedure that can help you avoid an unwanted dental extraction!
Who Can Lengthen Teeth?
Periodontists typically perform crown lengthening surgeries. The procedures are not too complex, but these gum experts have the specialized skills and tools to treat the area around teeth.
Your dentist will likely work along with a periodontist to bring your crowns to the proper length.
Contact a cosmetic, restorative dentist or periodontist in your area to schedule an appointment.
Posted on behalf of:
Park South Dentistry
30 Central Park S #13C
New York, NY 10019
(212) 355-2000
Dental veneers can fix almost any problem to get you a smile you’ll love.
What Are Dental Veneers?
A veneer is a single, thin, cosmetic dental restoration which is usually made from porcelain. It covers the entire front of a tooth, changing how it looks from the outside.
How Dental Veneers Can Improve Your Smile
Dental veneers can cover up stubborn stains. You may also get a veneer to widen the size of one or two teeth to close up a gap between them. If one of your front teeth has a chip in the edge or enamel with a rough texture, then a veneer can smooth out its appearance.
If you choose to get a veneer or two, you’ll need to schedule a few dental appointments. The first visit assesses your smile’s cosmetic needs. The next one involves trimming down the enamel so that the restorations aren’t too bulky. Your dentist will also take a mold of the prepared teeth, which is used to design the veneers.
By the last appointment, you dentist will check the fit of the veneers and bond them into place.
Are Veneers Right for You?
Dental veneers usually only go on upper front teeth, where they won’t experience too much bite pressure. They also need to be kept very clean to avoid developing cavities around the edges. Veneers can make radical changes in your smile, but they can’t treat active decay or major damage.
Do you have a tooth or two with some cosmetic flaws? If your teeth are healthy, then you may qualify to upgrade your smile with dental veneers. Ask your dentist for more information.
Posted on behalf of:
Smiles by Seese
610 Jetton St #250
Davidson, NC 28036
(704) 895-5095
Living with a misshaped front tooth can significantly impact your confidence. Whether your tooth is chipped or too small, you may be ashamed to show it when you smile or laugh.
Many cosmetic issues with front teeth are fixed with dental crowns. Crowns add strength and beauty in addition to filling out a damaged smile.
But if you’re looking for a more conservative way to reshape your tooth, then you may qualify for one of the following procedures:
Dental Bonding
Bonding is a procedure in which your dentist molds a simple putty-like filling onto your tooth to fill it out. It’s then cured with a light to chemically bond with the enamel. The result is a very subtle repair that makes a big difference.
Dental bonding is a very cost-effective procedure and it gets instant results. It’s best for only a couple of teeth at a time.
Enamel Contouring
It’s possible that your tooth just has a lot of excess enamel making it look misshaped. Your dentist can gently buff away just a tiny bit of the existing structure to make your tooth fits in with its neighbors.
Dental Veneers
Veneers are the perfect solution when you want dramatic results without capping the entire tooth. Porcelain dental veneers are essentially a facade – they just cover the front of a tooth to make it look different. But the don’t provide the strength or structural support that a crown does.
You may qualify for a dental veneer if your dentist determines that your tooth doesn’t need complete coverage with a crown.
Looking for a way to change your tooth’s shape without a crown? To find out whether bonding, enamel contouring, or a veneer is right for you, schedule a consultation with your local dentist.
Posted on behalf of:
Greencastle Dental
195 Greencastle Road
Tyrone, GA 30290
(770) 486-5585
If you’re due to get braces in the near future, you’re likely afraid of getting some of those dreaded “white spots” or circles on your teeth, as well.
Here’s what you need to know about what causes them, and how to prevent it from happening.
What Are White Spots?
Tooth enamel that loses minerals is considered decalcified. When this happens, the enamel takes on a bright white, chalky appearance.
Decalcification can happen when teeth are exposed to too much fluoride during development. It also occurs as a result of long-term exposure to dental plaque.
Braces can cause enamel decalcification when plaque is allowed to accumulate in places that are hard to reach with a toothbrush or floss. The acids in this biofilm zap minerals out of the enamel, and you’re left with white spots around areas where the brackets and wires used to be.
Decalcified spots on enamel tend to be weaker than other areas on the tooth; they need to be well cared for to avoid developing cavities.
How to Avoid White Spots
Thankfully, white spots are not an inevitable part of getting braces. As long as you maintain a strict oral hygiene routine, you can keep your enamel healthy during orthodontic treatment.
Your daily routine may include:
Minimizing White Spots
Tooth-colored fillings and porcelain veneers are great ways to restore your smile after braces if you have a lot of white spots. A little teeth bleaching may also help even out tooth color. Enamel remineralizing toothpastes can restore weakened areas as well.
Talk with your dentist for more ideas on preventing and treating white spots after orthodontics.
Posted on behalf of:
Soft Touch Dentistry
1214 Paragon Dr
O’Fallon, IL 62269
(618) 622-5050
Dental veneers are perfect for covering up deep stain and rough enamel. They can close up gaps and even out the shape of neighboring teeth.
Before you decide to get dental veneers, just make sure you are aware of their limitations.
Your veneers will be designed to reflect the whiteness level you want at the time they are placed. After that, there’s no changing them. If you bleach your teeth later on, they could end up whiter than the veneers.
New porcelain veneers are tough and they aren’t porous like tooth enamel. While they aren’t as likely to stain, you can still get some unsightly darkening at the margins where they’re bonded. Try to limit dark-colored foods and drinks.
Veneers don’t have the strength of natural teeth or dental crowns. If you bite on them at an angle with enough force, they can pop off. Granted, it takes a lot to do that, but you should stay away from chewing ice or using your teeth as tools to open packages.
A dental veneer may cover the front of a tooth, but it can’t seal up the whole thing. Bacteria and acid can still eat away at the exposed parts and sneaky underneath the veneer. This means that although your veneer itself won’t decay, you still need to carefully brush and floss the tooth it rests on.
If you’re sure that you can take great care of your teeth and veneers after getting this cosmetic procedure, then ask your local dentist for a consultation.
Posted on behalf of:
Pure Smiles Dentistry
2655 Dallas Highway Suite 510
Marietta, GA 30064
770.422.8776
You’ve heard so much about how veneers can makeover a smile in one appointment. Countless celebrities and movie stars have glammed up their grins thanks to the help of veneers.
But what’s this about “Lumineers?”
Lumineers vs. Veneers – The Differences
Dental veneers are .5mm-thick sheets of porcelain crafted to fit over the front of a tooth. They replace an ultra-thin layer of enamel to create a smooth surface.
Lumineers are a brand of “no-prep” veneers. They essentially do the same thing, but they don’t actually replace an outer layer of enamel. Instead, they’re bonded directly over the tooth. They measure in at around .2mm – about the thickness of a contact lens.
Why Choose Lumineers?
Because Lumineers don’t require any tooth alteration, you can get them put on with zero-drilling and no numbing. They’re also reversible. If you ever decide that you want to go back to your original smile, your dentist can pop Lumineers off. This is not the case with traditional veneers which permanently alter your teeth.
There are other brands of no-prep veneers. Lumineers just happen to be well-known.
Are Lumineers Really Better?
Just because no-prep veneers are reversible doesn’t make them the best option. They might be thin, but you may notice the difference in bulk on your teeth. So much so that you could have problems closing your lips, biting into food, and even risk having a plaque-collecting “speed bump” near your gum line where the veneer ends. You need just the right smile to consider this option.
It’s not to say that either regular veneers or Lumineers are better. It simply depends on what your unique smile needs are. Ask a cosmetic dentist in your area which method will help you reach your goal.
Posted on behalf of:
Greencastle Dental
195 Greencastle Road
Tyrone, GA 30290
(770) 486-5585
Celebrities, actors, and many others in the spotlight have gorgeous smiles. It’s not that they were born with teeth any better than ours – they’ve just had a lot of little imperfections covered up.
Often, this is all thanks to dental veneers.
Here’s how porcelain veneers could work wonders for you, as well:
By making the veneers just a little bigger than the teeth, your dentist can span a considerable gap between teeth.
This function of veneers makes them a potential alternative to braces.
Stubborn stain that won’t go away with bleaching can be masked over with a porcelain veneer.
If you’re tired of a chip in your tooth making you look childish or unprofessional, then get it fixed with a veneer (which is less invasive than a crown.)
Can’t shake the feeling that one tooth is just a tiny bit longer than the others?
A veneer can erase even the smallest irregularities and create a uniform smile line.
Rough tooth surfaces tend to trap a lot of stain. It goes without saying that your tongue can’t seem to stay away from the odd texture! You’ll feel a lot better about your smile with a smoother surface created by veneers.
Sick of a patchwork of stained, old, tooth-colored fillings that show on your front teeth? Many times, restoring those teeth with dental crowns is the best option. But you never know; your dentist may find that the fillings are small enough to be covered over by veneers.
Schedule a smile consultation with your local dentist to find out whether veneers are right for you.
Posted on behalf of:
Bayshore Dental Center
810 W Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd #2900
Seffner, FL 33584
(813) 330-2006
Acids attack tooth enamel every time you eat. Carbohydrates that enter your mouth fuel bacteria that produce even more acid. With this steady chemical erosion persisting over time, your tooth enamel can wear out to the point that your teeth get sensitive and/or develop cavities.
How do you counter the effects? Try the following five tips.
It’s impossible to avoid virtually every form of acid in your diet. A lot of acidic foods are healthy for you. These include:
If you accompany these foods with a glass of water, you can rinse away acid so it doesn’t sit on your teeth too long.
Don’t brush right after you eat. You could wind up just spreading all that acid around. Wait about 20-30 minutes after your meal and then brush with a fluoride toothpaste.
Food items that range on the opposite end of the pH spectrum could help strengthen enamel. Eat plenty of:
Chewing gum stimulates the saliva flow that’s crucial to cleansing teeth and re-mineralizing enamel. Choose a brand that contains xylitol, a sugar substitute that helps prevent decay.
Your dentist has the tools necessary for examining your enamel and checking it for weakness. If your teeth could use an extra line of defense, then a fluoride treatment, porcelain veneers, or dental sealants may be in order.
Contact your dentist today to learn more about how to protect your enamel from acids in your diet.
Posted on behalf of:
Embrace Dental Care
8544 US-42, #500
Florence, KY 41042
(859) 371-4000
That front tooth is bothering you, again. Just when you think you’ve forgotten about it, you catch a glimpse of your teeth in the mirror.
Whatever your complaint may be, you are not alone. Many people live in fear of having their photo taken due to having a tooth they’re embarrassed by.
But each year, many people take their dental fate into their own hands.
Dental crowns and veneers have proven to be the perfect options for covering up less-than-perfect teeth. What are the differences between these two restorative techniques? And which is right for you?
Crowns vs. Veneers
Dental crowns are often made from metal, porcelain, or a combination. The cap covers the entire tooth like a snug winter mitten on a hand. Crowns are load-bearing and thus meant to improve the strength of a tooth.
Veneers, on the other hand, could be likened more to a potholder rather than a full mitten. Just as you only need a little fabric to shield your hand from hot elements, a veneer provides only partial coverage for the front of a tooth. Placed over the visible “smile” surface of upper front teeth, veneers are porcelain shells that improve the appearance of enamel.
What Your Tooth Needs
For a front tooth that only needs some cosmetic enhancement, you could go either way. If that tooth has significant structural damage or decay or experiences a lot of bite force, then a crown is the secure option.
But if your tooth doesn’t need total reinforcement, then a conservative and lightweight veneer may be all you need.
To find out which option is most effective for restoring your tooth, contact your local dental office.
Posted on behalf of:
Dentistry of Highland Village
3651 Weslayan St. #208
Houston, TX 77027
(713) 360-7700
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