If you’re unhappy with the way your teeth look; they may be misshaped, crooked, too big, too small or discoloured, then your Southend dentist at Advanced Dental Aesthetics would urge you to consider dental veneers as a fast, effective cosmetic dental treatment that’s also great value for money.

What is a dental veneer?

A dental veneer is an ultra-thin shell of tooth-coloured porcelain or composite that’sfixed over the surfaces of your teeth to correct dental problems including worn tooth enamel, tooth discoloration, chips or cracks and uneven tooth alignment or spacing.

What are the benefits of dental veneers?

Dental veneers fall into the category of cosmetic dentistry because they help makeover smiles with beautifully aligned, shapely teeth that give patients the Hollywood smile of their dreams. But they don’t just offer a cosmetic improvement to your smile.They also provide protective qualities and may eliminate the need for more extensive dental treatments. Other benefits include durability, an improved smile appearance, and the protection of a tooth’s structure compared to crowns.

What dental problems can veneers solve?

• Worn enamel: Tooth enamel often wears or is dulled naturally over time and behaviours like consuming soft drinks, tea or coffee, smoking and the use of certain medications or as a result of a genetic predisposition, can make things worse. Dental veneers are perfect for correcting smiles affected by worn enamel.
• Uneven teeth: Uneven teeth can result from the grinding of teeth, and through general wear and tear. This can lead to bite issues known as malocclusions in addition to cosmetic smile issues.
• Wear and tear: As we age, our teeth naturally begin to wear down. Aged teeth are more likely to have chips, cracks or a generally uneven appearance. Dental veneers restore the natural appearance of healthy, young-looking teeth.
• Genetics: Certain people are born with abnormal spacing between their teeth that widens with age.
• Discolouration: Stubborn tooth discoloration may not be fully correctable through teeth whitening. In such cases, veneers can offer a simple, cosmetic solution.

What happens at my first dental veneer consultation?

At your initial consultation, you and your Advanced Dental Aesthetics dentist in Southend, Essex, will discuss the “smile design process.” By sharing your preferences for the shape, length, width and colour of the veneers and the change in the appearance of your smile that you want to create, you help ensure your treatment will meet your expectations. It’s important your Advanced Dental Aesthetics dentist understands your objectives during your veneer consultation.

What’s the treatment process for dental veneers?

At Advanced Dental Aesthetics we offer porcelain veneers so the first thing your dentist will do is make an impression of your teeth from a mould of your mouth. We then send the impression to an outside dental laboratory where the veneers will be professionally fabricated.

Once we have the porcelain veneers your Southend dentist will give you a local anaesthetic so you’ll feel no pain during the tooth preparation and placement of the veneer. Your natural tooth is then prepared by minimally reshaping it with a small handheld rotational cutting device called a bur to ensure the best fit. Burs come in various shapes and sizes and allow precise and minimal shaping of a tooth prior to placement.

If your treatment involves direct composite resin veneers, your dentist then will apply the appropriately shaded composite to your teeth, shape the material and harden it using a high intensity light. Additional layers of composite may be applied to build the veneer to the correct shape, length and form for your smile. When all composite is placed, the veneers will be finished and polished using burs and polishers to create a vital and lifelike smile.

While you’re waiting for your porcelain veneers from the lab you’ll receive temporaries at your preparation appointment.

Temporary veneers provide a preview of the expected outcome, though it should be noted that temporaries may not always be placed. If your treatment involves one or a couple of teeth and enough enamel remains on the surface, your dentist may forgo the temporary process.

Is there any pain once the dental veneers are placed?

After your teeth are shaped, they may be more sensitive to hot and cold due to the loss of enamel during tooth preparation. Increased sensitivity may also occur if you have temporaries placed and for a brief time following placement of the final veneers.

During the placement appointment, your dentist will remove the temporaries and place your final veneers, after which they will evaluate and adjust them to ensure the optimal fit and colour.

How long do dental veneers last?

Veneers are durable and have been shown to last for many years before requiring replacement. Seeing your Advanced Dental Aesthetics dentist and hygienist for regular examinations and dental cleanings is important for maintaining the health of your mouth and longevity of your restorations.

Aftercare is extremely important. Chipped or fractured porcelain veneers cannot be repaired, so your dentist will advise you of the costs and added time associated with replacing a damaged restoration.

To reduce the risk of damage, do not bite or chew on hard objects such as nut shells or bones, and do not use your teeth to open or tear packages. Your dentist also may advise you to avoid certain foods that could cause damage.

Brush and floss your teeth as you normally would and be sure to use a non-abrasive toothpaste. Because veneers are highly polishable, the risk of staining them with food or drink after the procedure is complete is greatly reduced. However, brushing after drinking red wine, coffee, tea or fizzy drinks is advisable.

I’m interested in Dental Veneers, what’s my next move?

Contact Advanced Dental Aesthetics today to arrange your dental veneers consultation or book a free video consultation.