Porcelain Veneers: Making Your Smile Even More Beautiful with Cosmetic Dentistry
Are you looking for a radiant smile that never fails to turn heads?
Do your teeth leave you feeling uncomfortable or self-conscious during every photo op?
Have years of severe staining made teeth whitening treatments ineffective?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, there’s good news: Porcelain veneers are a great way to make your smile feel like you again.
Our veneer engineer experts at Rockville Dental Arts can provide you with a set that looks like your natural tooth enamel — only better, stronger and brighter than ever. It’s a complete smile makeover, and your teeth deserve it.
What are Porcelain Veneers?
Definition and Purpose of Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted from porcelain or composite resin, designed to cover the front surface of teeth. These veneers are a popular solution in cosmetic dentistry for individuals looking to enhance the appearance of misshapen, discolored, or damaged teeth.
The primary purpose of dental veneers is to improve the aesthetic appeal of your smile, boost self-confidence, and contribute to better overall oral health. By addressing various dental imperfections, veneers can transform your smile into one that you’re proud to show off.
Imagine porcelain veneers as party masks. They’re thin but strong covers placed over your tooth enamel by a cosmetic dentist.
Like party masks, they’re designed to change your look — in this case, to address certain dental issues, including:
- Chipped teeth.
- Stained tooth enamel.
- Gaps in the front teeth.
- Crooked teeth.
- Uneven spaces between each tooth.
- Teeth of uneven lengths.
- Misshapen teeth.
Gaps in the front teeth.Dental veneers cover each natural tooth. They’re incredibly thin, so they won’t significantly alter your bite or make your teeth feel crowded. Better yet, they can be matched to the color, texture and shape of surrounding teeth.
To find out if you’re a candidate for veneers, we work with you to determine a few big factors:
- Overall oral health: Do you brush and floss twice a day? Do comprehensive oral exams suggest your teeth and gums are in great shape? If so, you’re that much closer to being a good candidate for the dental veneer procedure.
- Tooth enamel: A natural tooth must have plenty of enamel so traditional porcelain veneers can fully bond and adhere. If you don’t have enough enamel, don’t despair — we can work our dentistry magic and find a solution that’s best for you. If you have a small amount of enamel then a dental crown will be advisable.
- Goals: Porcelain veneers can do a lot for your smile, but a cosmetic dentist may recommend a different solution if you’re looking for a complex or highly specific outcome. Luckily, we’re here to guide you through your options.
As you consider porcelain veneers, Dr. Dennis Norkiewicz will speak to you, assess the state of your teeth and give you insight into the best treatment options for your unique smile.
Benefits of Porcelain Veneers
You can expect all kinds of benefits from a smile makeover. Here are just a few:
Porcelain veneers tend to be more expensive than composite veneers due to their high-quality material and natural appearance. However, despite the higher upfront cost, porcelain veneers may last longer and require fewer replacements, potentially saving money over time.
Smile improvement
If you’re dissatisfied with your smile, you may not feel like yourself.
Porcelain veneers help address discolored teeth, misaligned teeth and even cosmetic issues caused by crooked teeth or individual tooth decay.
The result is smile improvement that doesn’t require significant or invasive changes to your tooth structure.
You’ll be grinning for the camera in no time!
Tooth protection
While porcelain veneers don’t protect from tooth decay or reduce the need for regular trips to the dentist, they can offer some protection from issues like dental discoloration.
That means you can enjoy that sip of wine or daily cup of coffee, tea without worrying about permanent stains on your teeth.
Strength
Anything made of porcelain must be delicate, right? Wrong!
Porcelain veneers are known for their strength and durability, giving you the freedom to eat, speak and smile with confidence.
Speed and simplicity
Need to achieve that perfect smile before a photoshoot, job interview, party or wedding?
Porcelain veneers are a comparatively fast and simple way to address cosmetic dental problems.
Plus, they’re far less invasive than a root canal or dental crown placement.
The look and feel of a natural tooth
Ideal porcelain veneers match the color and texture of surrounding teeth.
The goal isn’t to create a smile that looks like it’s made of plastic — rather, porcelain veneers should look and feel natural from the moment a cosmetic dentist places them.
The Cost of Looking Good: Understanding Dental Insurance
The price can depend on the type of veneers. All are tooth colored to maximize whiteness but cheaper ones are made out of composite materials. However the porcelain requires less enamel removal and look more natural.
Veneers cost less than $2,500 per tooth or about $1800-2000 each. Dental insurance typically does not cover veneers, so patients often need alternative financing options to manage the costs.
The Porcelain Veneer Process: From Dental Lab to Your Smile
We leverage state-of-the-art technology to design a set of porcelain veneers customized to your mouth, helping us optimize your smile and create veneers that fit snugly, feel comfortable and look like you’ve always had them.
And the best part: Most of this work, including the creation of the porcelain material, is done in our dental lab before you sit down in the chair.
The procedure for a full set of porcelain veneers takes about two to three hours. Here’s how it works:
- Preparation: We mill each porcelain veneer to pearly white perfection while you check out our stellar collection of magazines. Before the procedure begins, you’ll experience our state-of-the-art tooth preparation, which involves cleaning your teeth’s outer surface. It is crucial to treat any gum disease before applying veneers, as swollen or bleeding gums can affect the quality of dental impressions. Temporary veneers will be worn for up to two weeks.
- Application: Once each natural tooth is sparkling clean, veneer placement happens with a dental bonding light to secure it to the enamel. The underlying tooth isn’t damaged — instead, it’s just wearing that party mask.
- Perfection: Finally, we check with you to make sure everything feels right. If there’s extra porcelain material, we’ll remove it from your teeth’s outer surface. Once your smile looks and feels totally natural, you’re free to go forth and dazzle with your new smile.
Unlike other cosmetic procedures, there’s no downtime involved with a porcelain veneer treatment. As soon as the last veneer is placed and bonded appropriately, you can head out the door.
Designing and Preparing Your Teeth for Veneers
The journey to a stunning smile with veneers begins with a consultation at your dental office. During this initial appointment, your dentist will assess your oral health, discuss your desired outcome, and create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. Preparing your teeth for veneers involves removing a small amount of enamel from the tooth surface to ensure a proper fit. This step is typically painless, and local anesthesia may be used to minimize any discomfort. The goal is to create a smooth surface for the veneers to bond securely, ensuring a natural and comfortable fit.
Tooth Impressions and Fabrication
Once your teeth are prepared, the next step is to take precise impressions of your mouth. These impressions serve as a blueprint for creating your custom veneers. The molds are sent to a dental laboratory, where skilled technicians use high-quality materials and advanced technology to fabricate veneers that match the color, shape, and texture of your natural teeth. This meticulous process ensures that your veneers will blend seamlessly with your smile. The fabrication process usually takes a few days to a week, depending on the complexity of your case.
Temporary Dental Veneers and Final Placement
While your permanent veneers are being crafted, your dentist may provide you with temporary veneers to protect your teeth and maintain their appearance. Once the permanent veneers are ready, the final placement process begins. Your dentist will carefully bond the veneers to your teeth using a special adhesive, ensuring a secure and natural-looking fit. This step is crucial for achieving a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing result. With your new veneers in place, you’ll be ready to show off your beautiful, confident smile.
Choosing the Right Dentist and Dental Office
Selecting the right dentist and dental office is essential for achieving the best results with your dental veneers. A qualified dentist with extensive experience in cosmetic dentistry can guide you through the process, ensuring that your veneers are designed and placed correctly. Look for a dental office that is equipped with the latest technology and uses high-quality materials to provide optimal results. A skilled cosmetic dentist will have a deep understanding of dental anatomy and aesthetics, helping you achieve a smile that looks and feels natural.
Finding a Qualified Dentist for Your Veneers
When searching for a dentist to perform your veneer placement, it’s important to find a professional with a strong background in cosmetic dentistry. Look for a dentist who has extensive experience and a proven track record of successful veneer cases. Check patient reviews, ask to see before-and-after photos of previous patients, and ensure that the dental office uses the latest technology and high-quality materials. A reputable dentist will take the time to understand your goals and provide personalized care to help you achieve the smile of your dreams.
Caring for Your Porcelain Veneers
What happens when you bring your new smile home?
The good news is that there’s no specialized maintenance required to protect your porcelain veneers or extend their longevity. Instead, just keep up with a few good dental habits:
Brush and floss
We know we sound like a broken record, but we’re dentists — it’s our job!
Brushing and flossing twice daily will help protect each porcelain veneer and the natural teeth, keeping your smile healthy and beautiful.
Don’t forget to floss carefully where the veneer meets your gums.
Choose the best toothpaste
Because porcelain veneers are designed to match the color of surrounding teeth, it’s important to make sure those surrounding teeth don’t stain.
We can help you choose a toothpaste that will keep your pearly whites, well, pearly white.
Break or avoid bad habits
We’ve all got a few bad dental habits. Here are some you’ll want to avoid to protect your porcelain veneers:
- Chewing ice.
- Biting your nails.
- Grinding your teeth.
- Brushing too hard.
- A high-sugar diet.
- Using teeth as tools.
- Smoking or chewing tobacco.
Don’t forget your checkup
While porcelain veneers don’t need specialized care, your whole mouth certainly does. Those party masks don’t make every natural tooth invincible — so remember to come in for checkups and dental cleanings.
When you follow these guidelines and give your smile regular TLC, porcelain veneers last an average of 15 years, although some have been known to last as long as 25 years. That’s because they’re made of the highest quality porcelain and were well-protected by their owners (with a little help from their dentists, of course).
Give Your Smile Some TLC
Are you ready for a smile makeover?
Looking for a quick, easy and stress-free solution to problems like chipped, broken, stained or misaligned teeth?
Don’t spend any more time dodging the camera or putting a hand in front of your mouth — porcelain veneers are your new best friend.
Crafted in our dental lab and carefully placed by a cosmetic dentist, our porcelain veneers help protect, improve and brighten your smile, all while looking totally natural. They’re also strong and long-lasting — so go ahead, enjoy that tough steak or bite right into that ice cream cone.
When it comes to your teeth, temporary just won’t cut it. You deserve a smile that goes for miles, and you can find it with porcelain veneers. Veneers in Rockville offer the perfect solution to enhance your smile and boost your confidence with high-quality, customized results. Contact Rockville Dental Arts to learn more about our porcelain veneers treatment, or schedule a consultation to see if you’re a candidate.
