Veneers As Restorative Options To Stains And Damage

By Author: Peter Roseberg
Total Articles: 79
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When it comes to making a good impression, nothing beats a healthy smile. Many invest a fortune in maintaining the condition of their pearly whites, and some even go so far as to replace these with porcelain fittings. If you consider your healthy teeth an investment, then it should be a pain to suddenly discover faults to appear or stains to build up on the enamel.

There are several restorative options to discolored or damaged teeth, so you shouldn’t really worry or lose hope. Teeth whitening products and treatments are your most affordable solutions to discoloration, but these are only effective against superficial stains. Crowns and implants can cover or replace damaged or diseased teeth, but you’ll have to sacrifice a huge chunk of the enamel to restore form and appearance; you’ll have to lose teeth if you’re going for dental implants.

If checkups determine that your tooth structure can handle the restoration, then you should consider veneers as the solution to damage and discoloration. Some stains are internal and won’t respond to bleaching, but you can’t sacrifice tooth structure in an effort ...
... to get rid of discoloration. Veneers can restore form and appearance of chipped, damaged, or stained teeth, but the attachments are only placed over tooth enamel. The prep work isn’t as involved as dental crown or implant placements. Veneers are either made of resin or porcelain, both with their own advantages and tradeoffs.

Resin veneers are made from composite materials. These are lighter and thinner, and will accommodate less space on the surface of the tooth. The shades don’t quite match the color of real teeth, though; resin veneers don’t catch and reflect light like real enamel, but the advantage is you don’t need to have a third of your surface enamel shaved and carved to accommodate the placement. Porcelain veneers, on the other hand, are thicker but more opaque, and the shades can be adjusted to match your real teeth. Porcelain also resists the toughest stains, so the shade stays the same over time and in spite of your diet and lifestyle.

Placement is simple enough, but you’ll need the skill and experience of a qualified dentist just the same. Prep work involves an evaluation of tooth structure, alternative restorative options, and a choice between the veneer types. Your teeth are then prepared for the veneer attachments. Your dentist will remove part of the surface enamel so the veneer fits in perfect form and alignment. Once teeth are shaved and polished, cast impressions are taken and sent to a dental lab for fabrication and customization. Succeeding sessions are scheduled; in the meantime, you’ll wear temporary placements as protection for the exposed tooth enamel.

Note that porcelain veneers are charged per placement, so it’s a good idea to have several of these placed in a session, if your dentist determines that you need them. You can check dental veneers cost here if you’re considering restorative attachments for your chipped or stained teeth. You’ll probably pay out of your own finances because it’s a cosmetic procedure and excluded from dental insurance coverage, but the long-term results should be worth it.