Who Can Benefit From Dental Veneers?

Porcelain veneers are an effective solution for a number of issues….

Some of you may be familiar with the term ‘dental veneers’ but with limited knowledge of what they actually are. It is likely that you may have heard of them in conjunction with celebrities who have undergone a smile makeover. You may also have come across them in less than favourable articles about cosmetic dental procedures that have gone badly wrong when people have risked a cheaper option by going abroad for their treatment.

To help you discover more about what porcelain veneers can do for you, and how to avoid any risks by having it done at a reliable practice such as SG Dental and Implant Centre in Burton, we dedicate today’s blog to this popular cosmetic dental treatment.

What are dental veneers?

Porcelain veneers are sometimes likened to false fingernails, but for the teeth. This is a very loose description and the process is much more complex than that, but as a visual aid it might be useful.

Veneers are, in fact, a very fine layer of porcelain that are made from impressions that we take of your teeth at our Burton dental practice to ensure an exact and natural appearance. In many cases, this will require the removal of a fine layer of your tooth enamel which is then replaced with the veneer once it has been produced at a dental laboratory. They are attached using a strong clinical adhesive and then trimmed and polished for that perfect appearance. With good care, you can expect your veneers to last for approximately ten years.

What can they be used for?

Dental veneers are perhaps best known for their use in cosmetic dentistry. They can be used to produce a whiter smile in situations where a teeth whitening procedure might not prove enough. An example of this might be where someone had heavily stained teeth, perhaps through smoking. A teeth whitening procedure, in this case, may make some improvement but perhaps not as much as the patient would hope for. Veneers can be made in any shade of whiteness that you like, enabling you to have the smile that you hoped for.

Because they replace the natural surface enamel of the tooth, they are also excellent for improving a smile where teeth have suffered from small chips or cracks. Even if you have been assured that this is only surface damage, there is little denying that an otherwise attractive smile can be spoiled by these flaws. By using veneers, you can have a great looking smile again, free from these minor defects.

Finally, some people have teeth whose enamel has become eroded over time. This could be through drinking too many acidic drinks or even brushing your teeth too hard or too often (or both). Not only does this cause a rough tooth surface, making staining more likely, but also could increase the risk of tooth decay. One common effect of this problem though is that the teeth can become very sensitive, causing pain and discomfort when they come into contact with anything hot or cold. Not only do veneers prevent any further tooth erosion but they also protect your teeth from this painful problem.

Avoid going abroad for treatment

As veneers are only available privately, some people have attempted to cut the cost by going abroad for this treatment. Indeed, dental tourism has become more popular over the years. Unfortunately for some, this hasn’t always ended well. From failing dental implants to ‘Turkey teeth’, cosmetic dentistry, when done on the cheap, is very risky indeed. That isn’t to say that there aren’t good dentists in other countries; there obviously are, but it can be very tricky determining how good the dentist you are seeing really is.

There are many possible pitfalls to having veneers fitted abroad. As mentioned, your dentist is likely to be unknown to you, and if they are offering the treatment cheaper, they may lack experience. In addition to this, they may use inferior materials to keep their costs down in order to make more profit. Finally, even with a good local dentist, it is always possible that you will need some aftercare, and travelling back and forth can soon make your cosmetic treatment very expensive indeed.

The cosmetic dental team at our Burton dental practice is both highly skilled and experienced in placing veneers. We use high quality materials too. Patients should remember that teeth are not just ‘blocks’ of white material but are very complex and, as some of you will be all too aware, can be very painful when things go wrong.

It really isn’t worth risking your teeth, and if cost is an issue to you, we are happy to discuss payment plans to enable you to spread the cost of the treatment over a period of time.

If you would like to teeth veneers, or any other cosmetic treatment with us, please call SG Dental and Implant Centre on 01283 845345 to book an initial consultation with us.