Considering Veneers? 3 Things You Should Know About Them
Having a smile with imperfections can be a struggle for some people. It will affect your social acceptance and confidence, which is why it is common to want to get veneers so you are no longer plagued with having bad teeth. Before you make the big leap to get veneers, know about these 3 things.
Veneers Will Not Solve Every Dental Issues
It may seem great to be able to walk out of the dentist's office with a brand new smile that has fixed all the cosmetic damage. Unfortunately, dental veneers will not fix the underlying heath reasons that were responsible for causing discoloration and decay.
Veneers can actually be problematic if you trap bacteria under the veneer since the decay will only get worse over time. The first step should always be to have a dentist treat the existing issues with decay so that it doesn't return. If you are missing a tooth, a veneer needs a stable surface to attach to, so it cannot act as a replacement for a bridge or dental implant.
Veneers Require Teeth To Be Damaged Slightly To Install Them
Your teeth will actually need to be damaged prior to having veneers installed. The process involves trimming off a thin outer layer of the enamel on your teeth. Since the veneers add additional thickness to the teeth, this helps keep them roughly the same size. The veneers also require an abrasive surface for the adhesive layer to stick to.
As little as 1/2 mm of enamel needs to be trimmed off each tooth for the veneers, but more may be necessary depending on if the veneer extends past the top of the tooth. Your dentist can look at your existing enamel and let you know if it is weak or thin since it could cause you to not be an ideal candidate for dental veneers.
Veneers Last A Long Time
Veneers are definitely an investment, so you can feel assured that the material should not fail for quite some time. It's possible for veneers to last between 10-20 years on average, and potentially longer than that if you take care of them.
Keep in mind that since the enamel of the tooth needs to be damaged to install the veneers, they do need to be replaced if they fail. If not, you are leaving the damaged surface of the tooth exposed.
If you have questions about the dental veneer process, schedule a consultation with a cosmetic dentist (such as one from Stone & Johnson Dental Group) in your area.