Veneers for teeth are becoming more and more popular. Three out of four people polled in the US revealed that they think an unattractive smile can hold someone back in their career and their life. When someone smiles with a mouthful of brown, discolored or unhealthy teeth, it gives others the impression that they don’t take care of themselves, as well.
Having an unattractive smile can make one feel inadequate and embarrassed to fully smile and show their teeth, making them seem reserved, or somewhat less friendly. It’s a proven fact that people with crooked, uneven teeth are self conscious of it and therefore don’t really like to have their picture taken or to be included in something that focuses on their appearance.
Cosmetic Veneers Could Be the Answer
There are some procedures to help make someone’s smile more attractive, and they’re all rather similar, with different pros and cons. One of those procedures is having cosmetic dental veneers installed over the teeth. This is something that one should sit and talk with their dentist about, to find out what the procedure is, what the cost could be, and if he thinks the patient would be a good candidate for it. Veneers are usually the end decision after having uneven, discolored, chipped or broken teeth, or spaces between teeth.
There are three kinds of veneers now. One kind is made of porcelain, another out of cerinate porcelain (called Lumineers), and also there are composite, or plastic veneers. All three are fully effective in restoring a smile, someone’s self confidence and self esteem.
Dental Makeover with Dental Veneers
Veneers are mounted onto the teeth so the teeth are not removed, although reshaping of the original teeth is involved, which usually removes the natural enamel. There are pros and cons of each kind, and of getting veneers at all, and research should be done before the final decision is made.
The pros of veneers are as follows:
- composite veneers: These are made from the same material the dentist uses to cover a black filling in a tooth. It can be shaped and cover the tooth, making it whiter, whole and to fill spaces. It can also be colored to the color of the natural teeth. The cost is $200-$300 per tooth and they can last up to seven years.
- porcelain veneers: These are made of a material that has many of the same properties of the tooth’s natural covering, enamel. It’s super smooth and impermeable, and the porcelain veneers look just like the real thing. They can be colored to match other teeth, or they can completely lighten teeth that are darkened by stains or fillings. But the veneers themselves will not stain or discolor, and they last 15 years, with good care (flossing, brushing, etc).
- lumineers: These are made with a new porcelain; Cerinate porcelain, and they’re contact lens thin (0.2mm), requiring less tooth shaping and enamel removal. They have all the realism and benefits of regular porcelain veneers, without the numbing shots or anesthesia and a minimal amount of ‘in the chair’ time. Also, since there’s minimal tooth reduction, often Lumineers can be reversed. These can last up to 15 years, with good care. Cost is substantially less than porcelain veneers.
The Cost of Veneers Isn’t Small
The cons of veneers are as follows:
- composite veneers: They only last seven years, and they are known to chip and crack over time and use. It’s much cheaper at the onset of having them, but if there’s a lot of teeth involved, repairs and upkeep could be expensive. Plus, they just don’t look as natural and real, and they‘ll discolor over time and use.
- porcelain veneers: They cost a whopping amount at the onset of having them and any repairs or replacements are expensive, too. It’s not uncommon to find these priced from $500 to $2000 per tooth. They do chip and crack, but not as much as the composite veneers do. There can be substantial tooth reduction to make room for them in the mouth, which means a lot of filing. Chair time is at least six hours, usually in two visits. Repairs and replacements are costly, too.
- lumineers: With minimal tooth reshaping there is only so much smile correction that can be done, and that can lead to bulky appearing or feeling veneers in some cases. Lumineers are done by specially trained cosmetic dentists, and because of that one may have a harder time finding a doctor that is trained to do them in a certain area.
There is no substitute for asking questions and doing research, and even ask for references and testimonials of patients that have had the procedure done. Talk to a dentist, who may examine and say that someone is not a good candidate for the veneers. Make sure this can be afforded; this procedure and the maintenance; because, there’s no turning back once it’s been done. It’s permanent.
Sources:
AboutCosmeticDentistry.com, “Cosmetic Dentistry Venners” no author listed, published 08/2009 and accessed on 05/05/2010 at 8:55pm.
DentalFind.com, “Pros and Cons of Dental Veneers” no author listed, no publish date, accessed on 05/05/2010 at e6pm.
CosmeticDentistryVeneers.org “Composite vs. Porcelain Veneers” by Shannon, published 08/2009 and accessed on 05/05/2010 at 7pm.
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