Everyone Can Have A Beautiful Smile

By Dr. Anasinski

Not all natural teeth are beautiful…sometimes they are misaligned with overbites, underbites or crossbites and some even have gaps between them. And not all teeth hold up well over time. Even with good dental care and oral hygiene, teeth can crack, chip or become discolored. But don’t worry…even if your teeth fall into one of these categories, with modern dental technologies, you can have a beautiful smile!

With the help of all-ceramic dental veneers, all of these issues can be solved, and you can have a white, bright smile and teeth without chips, cracks, or even gaps, with just three visits to our dental office. Veneers are thin wafers of ceramic that are custom-designed to fit over your natural teeth, yet can be designed in such a way that they can reshape your natural teeth and even change their color and appearance. And veneers are stain resistant, so with good oral hygiene, they retain their white, healthy appearance.

The first visit involves explaining the results you would like to achieve. Your dentist will then examine your teeth and gums to ensure that all-ceramic veneers are a good choice. Veneers will not work if you have cavities, gum disease, or on teeth that are weak or have thin enamel on the surfaces.

Once your dentist has examined your teeth and mouth and has determined that all-ceramic veneers are a good option for you, the process can begin. Veneers are used for the front teeth and are usually placed on anywhere from two teeth to eight or ten teeth depending on the problem (or problems) that is being corrected. During the second of the three-step process, your teeth are reshaped and prepared to hold the veneers. This process typically requires no anesthesia since the reshaping is so minimal. After the re-contouring process is complete, your dentist will take impressions of the teeth that are to be covered with the veneers and will make a mold of your teeth…the way they will look once the veneers are placed. The mold will include any tooth reshaping that needs to be done and at this time, you and your dentist will select the whiteness and translucency of your veneers.

After the mold of your teeth has been created, it is sent to a dental laboratory where the veneers are made. It normally takes about one to two weeks for the veneers to be created and sent back to our dental office. On your third visit of this process, your dentist will temporarily place the veneers to ensure that they fit correctly and that the color is right. Any trimming that needs to be done is accomplished at this point. Once the veneers fit to the satisfaction of both you and your dentist, they will be permanently fastened to your teeth.

The bonding process is done with special cement that is applied to the veneer, which is then placed on your tooth. At this point, the cement is still pliable and the veneer can be moved around to achieve the correct position. And if the color of the veneer needs to be adjusted, that can be done with the shade of cement that is used. Once the veneer is correctly placed, a special light beam is used to activate the chemicals in the cement, causing it to quickly harden, making the veneer permanent.

All-ceramic veneers are a very good option for teeth that need some aesthetic improvement because they look, feel and function like natural teeth, gum tissue interacts well with the all-ceramic materials and the veneers are stain resistant. Once dental veneers have been placed, they only require the normal oral hygiene care of brushing, flossing and regular visits to your dentist.