Dental Veneers | North County Dental Arts

We place dental veneers as a part of our cosmetic dentistry service. Veneers are thin porcelain shells that are cemented permanently to the front surface of the teeth. These shells can alter the color, shape, size, and length of your existing teeth. The upper front teeth are usual candidates for veneer placement. Usually, a set of veneers are placed for maintaining cosmetic consistency.

Veneers can assist with a wide range of dental problems. They can be used to conceal permanently discolored teeth due to root canal treatment, tetracycline stains, and large resin fillings. They can cover teeth that are worn down, broken, or chipped teeth, and close the gaps between teeth. They can also cover teeth with craters or bulges in them.

If you have teeth decay or any kind of gum disease, we advise against using veneers. People with weakened teeth or eroded enamel should not place veneers.

Veneer application process

1. Initial consultation:

At this stage, we will evaluate your candidacy for the veneer application. We will explain the pros and cons of the process so that you can make an informed decision. Veneers are permanent fixtures that cannot be removed, so you should be sure about your decision. Furthermore, placing them would require removing the enamel layer of your teeth. This may make the teeth highly sensitive, and it cannot be reversed or treated. They do not provide any guarantee that the teeth will not decay. In addition, veneers can chip or crack, but they cannot be repaired.

They also have several advantages. First of all, veneers can do wonders to restore your smile and hence your self-confidence. They are stain-resistant and strong. Also, they are less expensive than placing crowns or replacing the entire tooth.

Once you are certain of placing the veneers, we will take impressions of your teeth. Based on these impressions, custom porcelain veneers can be made in the lab. The color of the veneer can be made to match the color of the rest of your teeth.

2. Preparation:

Next, you will have to decide on the type of veneer you want. You can either have the ones that require some preparation of the tooth or go for a no-prep veneer. Preparing the tooth for the no-prep veneer does not require the support of a local anesthetic. It generally takes two to four weeks for the veneers to be ready from the lab.

If you are placing traditional veneers, you will need substantial preparation. It generally requires local anesthesia as we will remove parts of the enamel and roughen the surface of the tooth. The tooth is thoroughly dried and disinfected before placing the veneer. When the tooth is ready, the veneer is placed with special dental cement. Soon after positioning them, ultraviolet light is focused on the tooth to hasten the bonding process.

Veneers can last up to 15 years. Although it is uncommon, veneers may get loose and fall off. We will arrange for another veneer if anything like this happens. Although veneers resist stains, yet it is still advisable not to eat or drink certain foods and beverages.