Porcelain veneers are a powerful cosmetic dentistry procedure. They can essentially give you an entirely new smile, restoring the youthful beauty you’ve lost or giving you the smile of your dreams.
But porcelain veneers depend greatly on the skill of the cosmetic dentist who places them. So if you’re looking for world-class porcelain veneers, you have to choose a world-class dentist. Here’s some information to help you choose the best cosmetic dentist for your porcelain veneers.
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are thin facades of advanced ceramic that are bonded to the visible portions of your teeth. They’re typically used to improve the appearance of your most visible teeth. They usually cover just the front surface, but in some cases they can cover the occlusal (biting) surface and may extend down the back of the teeth as well.
Are They Really Porcelain?
Some people get confused about veneers. They think that because they’re called “porcelain veneers,” they’re really made out of porcelain. But these days, they’re usually made out of advanced ceramics that are as beautiful as porcelain, but much stronger. They’re even stronger than your natural tooth enamel!
So why do we call them porcelain veneers? Partly for the same reason that the call icons on your smartphone feature old style telephone handsets: tradition. And partly because it’s a promise of quality. We’ve given a more detailed consideration of the word porcelain for those that are interested.
What Can Porcelain Veneers Do?
We’ve noted that porcelain veneers can give you essentially an entirely new smile. That’s because they can address many different cosmetic issues at the same time. This includes improving the appearance of teeth that are:
- Discolored
- Chipped, cracked, or worn
- Gapped
- Crooked
- Narrow, short, or poorly shaped
Essentially, any problem short of a missing tooth can be treated using porcelain veneers. With porcelain veneers, you will be able to design a completely new smile that will fulfill all your goals.
Benefits of Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers aren’t just a versatile cosmetic dentistry procedure–they’re a great procedure. Although there are many different approaches to addressing all the cosmetic complaints that veneers can change, veneers are often the best way to get the results you want. That’s because veneers are:
- Fast
- Predictable
- Long-lasting
- Easy to maintain
- Natural in appearance
- Not limited by your natural teeth
One of the best things about porcelain veneers is how quickly they can achieve the beautiful smile you’ve been looking forward to. In just a few short visits over two weeks or so, you can get the smile of your dreams. Compare that to the year or more you might wait to get results from orthodontics and you know why many people describe porcelain veneers as “instant orthodontics.”
And despite the time it takes to get results from orthodontics, these results may not be exactly what you’re looking for. Sometimes the process doesn’t work as planned. This may mean extra time in braces or it may mean that you don’t get the results you were looking for. But with porcelain veneers, you always get exactly the results you wanted.
Porcelain veneers give very long-lasting results. Unlike teeth whitening procedures that may need to be redone in a few weeks, porcelain veneers can last 20 years!
Porcelain veneers are also easy to maintain. Just brush, floss, and make regular dental appointments after getting your veneers. If you had bite problems before getting veneers, we might recommend a night guard–like a mouth guard that you wear at night.
Porcelain veneers look very natural. They are made of ceramics with the natural luster of tooth enamel. They can be color-matched to your natural teeth so no one will be able to tell which are your natural teeth and which are your veneered teeth.
But just as they can be precisely matched to your natural teeth, they can also be very different from your natural teeth. When you move teeth with orthodontics, you’re still stuck with the same teeth you had before. And if you use teeth whitening, your teeth can’t get any whiter than your natural enamel allows. But with porcelain veneers, your teeth can be as white as you want, and they can change their shape when they are being straightened, too, so you always get the results you’re looking for.
Your New Smile from Start to Finish
The porcelain veneers process is very simple and straightforward. As we said above, it can be completed in a short period of time. Here are the basic steps involved.
Initial Consultation: Are Veneers Right for You?
Before we begin the veneers process, we want to make sure that veneers are the right cosmetic dentistry procedure for achieving your goals. We will start by listening to how you feel about your current smile and what you want to achieve with your smile makeover. Once we feel we understand what you’re going for, we will perform our own analysis of your teeth.
Weighing your feelings and the actual state of your teeth, we will consider your cosmetic dentistry options and decide which is the right procedure for you, which will likely be porcelain veneers, but might not be.
Preparation and Design
If we’ve decided that porcelain veneers are the best treatment to achieve your smile goals, then we’ll make an appointment to get the process started. At this appointment, we’ll prepare your teeth to receive the veneers. This means removing a small amount of tooth enamel from the teeth to make room for the veneers. We remove a tiny amount of enamel, about 1/50th of an inch, and that allows the veneers to sit smoothly on your teeth without looking too bulky or creating ridges where food and plaque can collect.
At this appointment, we’ll also talk through your final design, and give you options for customizing your smile so that the shape, color, and position of each tooth is exactly where you want it. You’ll see a digital image of your new smile so you’ll know exactly how it will look.
We’ll also fit you with temporary veneers that will give you a whole, attractive smile while you’re waiting for your permanent veneers.
Final Fitting
Once your permanent veneers are ready, we will call you back in for your final fitting. We’ll fit the veneers to your teeth and give you a chance to look at them before we bond them permanently to your teeth. Once you’re satisfied, then we’ll bond them, give you final, detailed care instructions, and schedule a follow-up appointment.
Choosing the Best Dentist for Your Veneers
Porcelain veneers are advanced technology, but they’re also art. The results you get from your veneers depends on the training and skill of your dentist. So you want to make sure that your dentist is up for the challenge. At Beyond Exceptional Dentistry, we offer three great reasons to choose us for your porcelain veneers:
- Great results
- Award-winning dentistry
- Extensive training and experience
These three factors separate us from other dentists you might choose for your veneers. Read more detail about these reasons here.
If you’re prepared to start the process of getting your porcelain veneers, please call (912) 234-8282 today for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry, serving local patients in Savannah and out-of-town patients from around the world.
