If your smile is suffering from chips or discolored teeth that whitening cannot fix, visit the dental office of Dr. Renee Kurtz in Cheshire, CT, today!

What are Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers are a dental procedure in cosmetic dentistry that can help improve the appearance of your smile and dental health. Veneers are placed on the tooth’s outer surface to enhance your teeth’ color, shape, size, or length. They are also designed to cover minor imperfections like chips or cracks. 

Veneers are made from porcelain or resin composite materials and can be permanently bonded to your teeth. Most people need multiple veneers to achieve a symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing smile. The top front eight teeth are the most commonly applied veneers. 

There are several different types of veneers that dentists use. Most are made from porcelain, but some require more invasive work to bond them to your teeth than others. In addition, there are “no-prep” veneers that take less time and are easier to apply, and sometimes can be clip-on, so they are removable. 

Traditional porcelain veneers require more invasive work, and the top layer of enamel will most likely need to be removed to bond the veneer to the tooth.

Veneers are quite different from dental implants or porcelain crowns. These procedures all happen within cosmetic dentistry and require restorative techniques. However, veneers only cover the front part of the natural teeth and correct minor issues, while crowns and implants tackle more significant problems like missing teeth. 

If you need porcelain veneers to help restore your smile, visit our office in Cheshire, CT, with Dr. Kurtz! 

Process of Applying Veneers

Before placing your veneers, our dentist, Dr. Kurtz, will have a consultation appointment to ensure this is the right option for you, confirm how many veneers are being placed, and go over the treatment process with you. In some cases, if a patient has misaligned teeth, braces may be required before veneers can be placed. 

Dr. Kurtz will then need to get accurate sizing for your veneers. Next, she will trim down about half a millimeter of your tooth’s enamel and then place the mold on the tooth to create an impression. This impression will then be sent to a lab for your veneers to be made.

After one to two weeks, when the veneers are back from the lab, you will come in for a placement appointment. During this visit, Dr. Kurtz will evaluate the fit, tooth color, and shape to make sure they are perfect for you. The dentist will then clean your teeth thoroughly to ensure bacteria are swept away from the teeth if everything looks good. Finally, she will roughen each tooth where a veneer will be placed so they can be adequately bonded. 

Using dental cement, the dentist will place the veneer on the tooth and use ultraviolet light to harden the cement. Soon you will be leaving the office with a flawless smile! 

Benefits of Dental Veneers

The most significant benefit of porcelain veneers is enhancing the appearance of your teeth to give you a new smile you have always wanted. 

Veneers can also provide benefits for the following cosmetic dental problems:

• chipped, cracked, or broken teeth
• discolored teeth that cannot be fixed by whitening 
• close gaps between teeth
• smaller teeth than need lengthened 
• pointed or unusually shaped teeth

If you have one or all of these issues, you may be a good candidate for porcelain veneers. 

Caring for Your Veneers

There is no “recovery time” for a veneer cosmetic dentistry procedure unless an anesthetic is involved, then it is simply a matter of waiting for the drug to wear off. Veneers typically last patients between 10 to 15 years if cared for properly. It would be best to continue regular dental care routines of brushing, flossing, and dental visits every six months with your dentist. 

After your veneers are placed, there are a few precautions you will want to take: 

• Don’t chew on hard objects like ice.
• Don’t use your teeth to open things.
• Try to chew foods with your back teeth as often as possible.
• A mouthguard might be an excellent recommendation to protect your veneers if you are a teeth grinder or play contact sports.

Schedule an Appointment For a Beautiful Smile! 

For the top dentist and dental care available to the Cheshire, CT area, visit the dentistry office of Dr. Renee Kurtz. Feel free to schedule an appointment here on the website or call us at (203) 699-9705!