What Are Veneers: Types, Benefits, Procedures & Results

What Are Veneers?

Think of a dental veneer as a shell that permanently bonds to one of your teeth. They can be made out of various materials that are designed to match the colour of your teeth. Veneers can also change the shape, size and length of any tooth. They can last 10-30 years depending on the material you use, but just like your natural teeth they’re not indestructible and require some care! You can compare the thickness of a veneer shell to a fingernail or a contact lens, so you don’t have to worry about it standing out or feeling bulky in your mouth.

Sunnyside Dental can provide you with custom porcelain veneers without any invasive surgery to help you transform your smile. Contact us for a consultation to find out if dental veneers are right for you!

Types Of Veneers

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are one of the most common kinds of dental veneers due to their many benefits. For one they’re custom-made to fit snugly onto your tooth, but they’re also very durable and won’t stain easily. The porcelain surface has a very natural “toothy” look, making it almost indiscernible from the rest of your teeth.

Porcelain veneers are perfect for small alterations to teeth and are thinner than the other kinds of veneers. As we’ll discuss below in the procedure section, it takes time to perfect and contour your underlying natural teeth so it’ll require at least a couple of visits to the dentist, but you may be given a temporary veneer until the final one is made.

Composite Veneers

Composite veneers are also quite popular because they’re cost effective and easy to apply – sometimes it takes just one visit to your dentist! They might not be as strong and durable as porcelain veneers, but they’re so easy to replace that it’s not a big deal if your composite veneer wears down or breaks. Composite veneers also generally require less enamel to be removed from your teeth before application, compared to getting a crown or another type of veneer.

Ceramic Veneers

Ceramic veneers are also quite durable and great for mimicking the look and feel of your natural teeth. These veneers require less prep time and contouring than porcelain veneers, so you’ll have your perfect smile just a little sooner.

Lumineer Veneers

Lumineers are a new brand of veneers that are manufactured by DenMat dental laboratory. They’re considered faster to apply, as well as being cheaper and thinner than traditional veneers. The downside to Lumineers is that they won’t last as long as porcelain or other materials and are generally not as effective at hiding damage or stains. They’re thinner than porcelain or ceramic veneers, being closer to the thickness of a contact lens than a fingernail, making them more translucent.

Benefits Of Veneers

Veneers are great for dealing with an assortment of toothy issues, from your average wear and tear to trauma or chipping induced from sports.

Worn Down & Eroded Teeth

If you suffer from reflux disease (GERD) or chronic vomiting, your teeth are susceptible to erosion from all sides. Drinking acidic beverages and medicines can also lead to erosion, which wears down your enamel to expose the darker dentin. Veneers will hide this tooth erosion and can even hide gum recession for over a decade with the proper care.

Traumatized Teeth

Veneers are quite common among athletes like hockey players whose teeth might take a beating on the ice. Whether you got into a fight or simply tripped over the curb and hit your teeth, veneers are a great way of hiding the damage to bring back that full smile again.

Stained Teeth

Since your teeth are porous they are susceptible to stains from beverages like coffee, sodas and wines, as well as starchy foods like potatoes or pasta. If you’re a smoker or enjoy chewing tobacco, your teeth are also at risk of staining. Other conditions like a calcium deficiency can stain your teeth. In any of these cases, veneers are a great way of covering up the stains. Materials like porcelain are also non-porous, making them less likely to stain on the surface (although they can stain around the edges from improper dental care).

Misshapen Teeth

Unfortunately not all teeth grow perfectly – you may have a tooth that’s too small or one that’s oddly shaped. Sometimes adults can retain baby teeth, making them look too small compared to the rest of your adult teeth. A custom-fit porcelain veneer is perfect for instances of misshapen teeth, changing their size and shape to fit in snugly with the rest of your mouth.

Veneer Procedures

The procedure for your veneers can be different depending on the kind of veneers you opt in for. Below we’ll go through the three non-invasive steps involved in applying custom porcelain veneers to your teeth.

1. Diagnosis & Planning

When you go in for a consultation your dentist will take a look at your teeth to discern if you might need veneers, based on if you have a misshapen, damaged or stained tooth. After this they’ll help you decide if a veneer is the right way to go.

2. Preparation

If you and your dentist choose to go with a veneer your dentist will begin preparation on your teeth. Don’t worry, there are no invasive procedures, they will simply remove a small amount of enamel from the front and sides of the tooth so that there is more room for the veneer to look natural.

An impression of your teeth is then made and the best tooth shade is selected to fit in with your smile. This information is sent off to a dental lab to make your custom porcelain veneer (this can take a few days). Your dentist might give you some temporary acrylic veneers to wear until it arrives.

3. Bonding

When your veneers arrive from the lab they’ll be tested on your tooth to ensure a good fit and a proper shape, before being cleaned and bonded to the tooth. A mild chemical that makes your teeth a little rougher for easier bonding is applied, before gluing the veneer on with a composite resin cement.

Veneer Results

Many people are often surprised by the effectiveness of veneers. They’ll take your chipped, misshapen, stained or cracked teeth and transform your crooked smile into an evenly shaped toothy one with natural colours. If you have any gaps between your teeth, veneers can even help fill these in!