Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are a cosmetic treatment that are aimed at improving the overall aesthetics of your teeth. They are very similar to fake finger nails but for your teeth. They are thin & durable porcelain/composite covers that are bonded to the fronts of your teeth.

Before we carry out any cosmetic treatment we will see you first for a dental assessment where we will ensure your teeth and gums are healthy enough to have dental veneers. It is important for all cosmetic treatments that you have achieved dental health before starting them, as any issues left untreated can cause further complications.

Am I Suitable For Dental Veneers?

If you are looking to cosmetically improve your smile please do not hesitate to call us today and we will be more than happy to discuss your options. The first step would be for a dental assessment to check your teeth over. Some of the things to take into consideration when looking at getting veneers:

• Weak teeth (can be linked with poor oral hygiene)
• Gum disease
• Teeth bruxism (clenching/grinding your teeth can damage veneers)
• Misaligned bite (if severe enough, it can put a lot of pressure on veneers)
• Wonky teeth (straightening your teeth may be recommended before having veneers)

Why Would I Want Veneers?

Veneers are a great way at giving you that “hollywood” smile you want. We can give you the ideal shade of teeth and also the ideal shapes of the individual teeth (the nice rounded edges, perfect equilibrium and symmetry).

How Many Veneers Will I Need?

This is very much case dependent on your teeth and mouth. If you show more teeth when you smile, then you will require more veneers to give you your perfect smile. The reason being, if you were only to have a few veneers on your front teeth, it will not give you the perfect symmetry of your smile midline, and the contrast between your natural teeth and the veneer teeth can look quite odd and incomplete. We always aim for dental excellence and will talk through your options carefully to ensure you leave with the results you dream of.

Treatment Process

Before you can have veneers, your teeth will need to be prepared. This appointment can last around 1 hour, and we will carefully shave parts of the tooth, making space for the veneer to be fitted to. It’s important to understand that before you decide to go ahead with veneers, the tooth preparation is not reversible, and healthy parts of the tooth will need to be removed.

How much of the tooth we will remove will depend on the type of veneer you have chosen. The main two types are composite and porcelain. Composite is a weaker material, and as a result more tooth needs to be shaved off for them to be fitted. Because porcelain is a stronger material, they can be made thinner, resulting in less tooth being shaved off.

At this appointment we will also take the shade of your surrounding teeth so we can match them up. If you are looking for a nice white smile, teeth whitening may be recommended prior to having veneers, so we can match the shade up to your new tooth colour.

An impressions is lastly taken of your teeth and the surrounding structures, so the laboratory can fabricate your new veneers. This is commonly done using a putty and tray system that sits in your mouth and sets after a few minutes – giving us the replica of your mouth and teeth. It can take between 2-3 weeks for your new veneers to be made and sent back to us. Depending on how much tooth preparation has been done, you may consider temporary veneers to have fitted during this interim period – prior to the preparation we can discuss with you if this is something that will be advisable.

The final fit appointment is quicker than the tooth preparation itself, it can roughly take 30-40 minutes. We will first check the shade of your veneers against your existing teeth and then use a dental cementing agent to fit the veneers in place.

After having the final veneers fitted, we would recommend waiting an hour or 2 before eating and drinking. After this period you can then resume normal activity.

Veneer Aftercare

It is important that you treat your veneers as if they were your natural teeth. Oral hygiene is again very important, and brushing twice a day will help reduce the bacteria in your mouth (which can attack your teeth and veneers). Even though you can eat and drink what you want, we do recommend having a bit of caution:

• Dark liquids (such as coffee, red wine, black tea) – this can cause staining
• Hard, tough food – can put pressure on the veneers and damage them
• Regular alcohol – this can cause the bonding agent to fail
• Chewing tobacco – can lead to staining

Porcelain is the stronger of the two materials (composite), but we always advise patients to still be cautious with the aftercare, as we know your new smile will mean a lot to you.

Book Your Dental Assessment Today

The first step to achieve your smile is to assess your suitability for veneers. Please do not hesitate to call us and one of our friendly receptionists will be more than happy to help.