What You Need To Know About Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are one way that dentists try to restore the confidence that patients have in their smiles. There are, however, a few basic things you should know about them before agreeing to a porcelain veneer treatment plan.

Veneers Are for Specific Cases

The process of putting them in requires removing a small amount of the tooth. For this to be feasible, the overall health of the tooth has to be sufficient to support the veneer without causing trouble down the road. Unless a crack or a chip just happens to be in the perfect spot on a tooth, they're usually not ideal for fixing structural issues. They work best in situations with staining and discoloration to otherwise healthy teeth. People with more complex problems may want to consider options like crowns.

It's worth noting that a veneer for a tooth is something of a check-down option. If there are concerns about the appearance of your teeth, your dentist and hygienist will want to start with simple teeth cleaning. They may also consider teeth whitening as long as the level of staining isn't too extreme. Whitening isn't always an option because there's a point involving heavy work where the products in the whitener can cause the tooth to dry out and die.

Color Matching

You'll likely still have some natural enamel left facing out on other teeth. This creates a small color-matching problem, and there are two ways to address this. Folks who want a more natural appearance may elect to have their veneers matched to the color of their other teeth. It's also possible to whitening the neighboring teeth to match the veneers.

Bonding

Advances in bonding materials mean that dentists can attach veneers with a very strong bond. You will be able to use your bite the same you had before getting them. If there are issues down the road, your dentist has the resources needed to undo the bond and install new veneers, too.

Care

While they bond very strongly, teeth porcelain veneers can't be entirely treated like other teeth. In particular, you will need to be careful about cleaning them. You can floss around your teeth as usual, and you can also keep using the same oral rinses you previously have. Most kinds of toothpaste, however, are too abrasive to be used on porcelain materials. Your dentist or hygienist will explain what products you'll need to use to polish the veneers.