Few things are more beautiful than a perfect smile. Damaged teeth, discolored teeth, or gaps can alter the look of one’s smile. Patients can have several different treatments for these, or they can consider veneers. Gairhan Dental Care offers veneers to its patients in and around the Jonesboro, Arkansas, area. Let us fill you in on all the details!
Do I Need Veneers?
If it’s healthy, you’re blessed. However, a smile appearance plays an important role in your self-confidence. Small defects such as cracks, an obvious gap at the front of your mouth, or stains from coffee and tobacco change how you interact with people.
Dr. Gairhan helps people attain their best-looking smiles. Porcelain veneers are very popular and effective in regularizing tooth shapes and colors. Plus, they strengthen weak tooth structure for a smile that’s as durable as it is beautiful. Veneers improve your smile appearance, giving you that all-important WOW factor without looking artificial or out of place. Your teeth will feel as good as they look.
What Are Veneers?
So what exactly are veneers? A veneer is a thin, hard shell that is placed over the tooth to improve the look. They can restore the appearance of the tooth’s shape that may be damaged by wear, cracks, or chips. They can also repair the appearance of teeth that are discolored or smaller than average and create a gap.
Direct Veneers
Direct veneers are made of porcelain, which is stain-resistant and has a surface that more closely matches the normal surface of a healthy tooth. This gives them a more natural look. It also means you can still enjoy your coffee without being worried about discoloration as long as you practice good oral hygiene habits and brush often and properly.
Indirect Veneers
Indirect veneers are made of resin instead of porcelain. They are slightly thinner, so buffing the tooth isn’t necessary. Indirect veneers are considered temporary. As such, they only last 5-6 years before you need to replace them. That makes them less cost-effective in the long run.
Because of their durability and advantages over temporary resin veneers, we use porcelain veneers in our cosmetic dentistry.
How Do I Get Veneers?
The placement of veneers is a detailed process that will require more than one office visit. Usually, we can place them in 2-3 visits.
The key to placing veneers is making sure there is enough room on the front of the tooth for the veneer to fit. That way, the veneers line up correctly and look more natural on your teeth.
Dr. Gairhan consults one-on-one with her patients. She performs a comprehensive examination, including photos and X-rays, and considers patient input in all her care plans.
If porcelain veneers are your best choice, she’ll take oral impressions and send them to Arrowhead Dental Lab in Utah. This high-tech lab fabricates veneers individually, coloring and shaping them to disguise flaws and achieve a very natural look.
Dr. Gairhan resurfaces each tooth receiving a veneer. This enamel reduction allows your laminates to fit well and to bite with the opposite arch of teeth properly. Because enamel is removed, veneers are considered a permanent dental refurbishment.
Finally, when your veneers are ready, Dr. Gairhan will etch your teeth and bond the veneers in place with dental cement, which is tooth-colored and very strong. A special light activates the bonding chemical in the glue.
Once we’re finished, your mouth may be a little tender for a day or two. After your veneer procedure, you may experience a bit of dental and gum sensitivity, but this will resolve. Stick with the soft foods at first; then, you should be good to go. You can show off that beautiful new smile!
How Long Do Veneers Last?
Once the veneers are in place, how long will they stay there?
With proper care, porcelain veneers can last for 10-15 years or longer.
Because they are bonded to the teeth after the teeth are buffed, they are considered permanent. You will need to replace them eventually because they may wear out or become damaged or discolored. But with proper care, that shouldn’t happen for several years.
How Do I Care for Veneers?
For the most part, you care for veneers just as you would your regular teeth. Brush and floss your teeth regularly, at least twice a day for two minutes at a time. Veneers are stain-resistant, so a cup of coffee a day shouldn’t be much trouble, but if you drink black coffee in excess daily, you might consider brushing after that second or third cup. If you have more questions about veneers, we have answered some common questions here!
While veneers are durable, they can be damaged. Avoid chewing on hard objects such as pencils or pens, your nails, or ice because they can chip or damage the veneers. Teeth grinding can also damage them, so these may not be best for you if you have a habit of grinding your teeth in your sleep.
We Make a Difference
At Gairhan Dental Care, we offer veneers as part of our cosmetic dentistry services because we believe a beautiful smile can boost your self-esteem. Our services also include dental implants, teeth whitening, and filling in gaps from broken or missing teeth. Our goal is to grow your self-confidence by creating that perfect smile. Veneers are one of several solutions available to make that happen. Let us guide you to the smile of your dreams.
Schedule an appointment for a free consultation, so you can see if veneers are right for you or if another procedure would be better.
We are happy to guide you to your perfect smile!
