A healthy mouth and good teeth are wonderful assets. They are key to having a beautiful smile. But good teeth go beyond the beauty and value of a smile. Teeth help us chew and digest food, and they help us to speak clearly. A healthy mouth reduces the risk of disease, including certain cancers and some forms of dementia. A healthy mouth helps extend one’s lifespan. If you have dental problems that are affecting your health, appearance, and your smile, you may be considering veneers.
What Are Veneers, and What Problems Do They Address?
Veneers are custom-made “protective shells” placed on the teeth’ front. They improve the aesthetics of a person’s smile and protect the surface of the teeth from damage. A veneer is a wafer-thin tooth-colored material that is bonded to the front of the teeth, thereby changing the color, shape, size, or length of the teeth. Veneers are made from porcelain and composite resin materials, and their application requires some intensive prep work. Some less durable “no-prep” veneers are applied using a different process.
Veneers can solve these problems: discoloration or serious stains that don’t improve with teeth whitening, worn, chipped, cracked, or broken teeth, teeth with gaps or craters, teeth that are too small or misshapen, and uneven or gap-spaced teeth. When considering veneers, it is essential to review some important factors
10 Factors When Considering Veneers
Review these factors when considering veneers:
- Veneers can be an expensive investment, and insurance doesn’t often cover them because, medically, they are considered “cosmetic.” Composite resin veneers average $800 per tooth or more, depending on how they’re made. Porcelain veneers average $1,500, and ultra-thin porcelain laminate ones are about $1,800 each.
- Depending on the type of material used, veneers can last 10-20 years. So, if a younger person has veneers applied, he/she may have to repeat the procedure several times.
- Many types of veneers are not reversible.
- Certain oral conditions make the use of veneers a poor choice. Those conditions include chronic gum disease, severe tooth crowding, structural tooth damage, and crossbite/underbite.
- It may not be necessary to have veneers cover every tooth.
- It is important to have your dentist help you make a good color choice so the veneers don’t look “fake.”
- Your teeth may become more sensitive to heat and cold because some of your natural enamel is removed during the application process.
- A veneer can fall off or become dislodged. Veneers usually cannot be repaired if they chip or crack. So, it is important to not bite your nails and chew on hard things like pencils and ice.
- Teeth with veneers can still decay. If decay occurs, a crown may be needed to cover the whole tooth.
- Consult with your professional dentist when considering veneers. Options include teeth bonding, whitening, crowns, and implants.
Seek Professional Dental Care
Contact Old Mt. Pleasant Dentistry, located right off Ben Sawyer Blvd in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., for dental care you can trust. We use practical treatment plans and the most advanced technology. We offer caring routine dental care and procedures, including extractions and root canals. To us, the patient is the most important person in the office.