Have you ever experienced not daring to smile fully showing your teeth because they are not beautiful? Losing confidence and affecting your appearance? If you are someone with misaligned teeth, small teeth, gaps, yellow teeth, or dental health problems, don’t stress! Nowadays, there are many dental innovations that can help you regain beautiful teeth and smile confidently, such as “veneers”.
Get to Know “Veneers”
Veneers are a technique of applying artificial tooth coating, similar to dental crowns, but the difference is that veneers do not cover the entire tooth. They are just thin layers attached to the front surface of the teeth. Simply put, veneers are a coating or covering on the tooth surface to fix various problems such as tooth discoloration, freckles, gray streaks, or abnormal tooth shapes. Even slightly misaligned teeth can be corrected. Veneers are commonly applied to the teeth visible when smiling, especially the front teeth, to restore confidence when speaking or smiling.
How Many Types of Veneers Are There?
Veneer dentistry involves attaching thin material sheets to the front surface of teeth that have been ground down by millimeters. You can choose the shape and color of the teeth as desired. The materials used for veneers include ceramic and resin composite.
Check It Out! How Are the Two Types of Veneers Different?
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- Ceramic veneers: The advantage of ceramic is that it does not absorb stains. Regarding durability, if used properly, research shows that over 95% last more than 10 years. The procedure requires at least two dental visits. The first visit involves grinding the front of the teeth and taking an impression to send to the lab to create the veneer. While waiting for the final product, the dentist will place a temporary restoration. After 1–2 weeks, the patient returns to have the permanent veneer attached.
- Resin composite veneers: These provide a color similar to natural teeth but are not permanent because the material absorbs stains. If you drink coffee, tea, or smoke, after 2–3 years the color may change, and you might need to replace the set. The procedure is completed in one visit but takes quite a long time. If the patient has 6–8 teeth done, it may take up to 3 hours.
Steps for Getting Veneers
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- Discuss your needs with the dentist because some problems may be better solved with other methods such as teeth whitening, fillings, or orthodontics.
- Once you decide to get veneers, the next step is to take an impression to create a model for the veneer placement. This helps communication between the dentist and patient and ensures the result meets expectations.
- Prepare the tooth surface by grinding it down. The amount depends on the original condition of the teeth. For example, if the teeth are well-aligned, only about 0.5 millimeters may be ground. If the teeth protrude, more grinding may be needed to ensure proper alignment after veneer placement.
- Attach the veneers to the front surface of the teeth.
How to Care for Your Teeth After Getting Veneers
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- Brush your teeth thoroughly, especially around the gum line where the veneers are placed.
- Use dental floss regularly, 1–2 times a day.
- Avoid biting hard objects and using your front teeth to gnaw.
- Be careful not to use your teeth in a way that involves prying or levering.
- Visit the dentist every 6 months.
- If you grind your teeth at night, you must wear a night guard to protect the veneers from damage.
Although veneers have many advantages, there are still some disadvantages. The treatment process requires grinding the teeth, which causes loss of enamel. Therefore, veneers should not be done repeatedly because each time the veneer is removed, more natural tooth structure is ground down.
