What are Dental Veneers?
Dental veneers, such as Lumineers ® are made of porcelain or other materials and designed to fit over your existing teeth to give them a desirable shape, color and appearance that best highlights your smile.
What are the steps involved in Veneers
- Your dentist will take the shade of your existing teeth to ensure the shade of your veneers matches your natural smile as closely as possible. Next, your dentist will trim your teeth, if needed, to allow room for the veneers to fit over them, while keeping your teeth as close as possible to their original thickness. Typically, only a very small amount of tooth enamel needs to be removed.
- Next, your dentist will take an impression of your teeth. Veneers are fabricated in a lab to fit exactly over your existing teeth.
- Once your custom-made veneers are ready, it’s time for your next office visit. Your dentist will then prepare your teeth using an etching process, and will bond each veneer to your teeth, one-by-one. Your dentist will then make adjustments as necessary to ensure your bite is even.
- About one week after the veneers are placed, you will return to the office for a quick follow up visit so your dentist can check on how your mouth is reacting to the treatment. Even if you feel fine, this step is very important in ensuring the success and long-term results of your veneers.
Types of Dental Issues that Veneers Can Correct:
- Teeth that are discolored and cannot be corrected by in-office whitening treatments. These types of discoloration may be due to root canal treatment; stains from tetracycline or other drugs, or tooth discoloration due to large fillings
- Teeth that are worn down and have lost their former shape
- Teeth that are chipped or broken
- Teeth that are uneven, out of alignment, or irregularly shaped (for example, teeth with craters or bulges in them)
- Teeth with gaps between them
Dental Veneer Options: Porcelain Veneers including Lumineers® and Resin Composite Veneers
There are two basic types of veneer options available: Porcelain, which includes the Lumineers® system, and Resin Composite veneers.
| Porcelain Veneers & Lumineers ® | Resin Composite Veneers | |
| Resistance to Stains | Greater resistance | Less resistant |
| Thinness of veneer (impact on tooth surface during preparation | Thicker than resin composite, greater tooth surface impacted during preparation | Thinner than porcelain, also known as “minimal prep” veneers |
| Natural look of veneer compared to other teeth | Better light reflection than resin veneers, more natural looking | Matches natural tooth color, but does not reflect light as well as porcelain |
| Cost | Somewhat more than resin composite veneers | Somewhat less than porcelain veneers |
Post procedure care for Veneers
Some patients experience some sensitivity to heat or cold shortly after the veneers are placed. Your dentist will let you know what you can expect, and will check in with you at your one-week follow up visit. If you do experience sensitivity, be sure to let your dentist know.
Veneers should be treated like regular teeth – including practicing a great at-home oral hygiene routine and maintaining regular checkup and cleaning visits. If you have a habit of clenching or grinding your teeth, your dentist may recommend a night guard to help protect your teeth and veneers.
Alternative Treatment options for Veneers
Not all patients are good candidates for veneers. Bite, alignment, or other issues may increase the risk of damaging or breaking the veneer. In these cases, your dentist may recommend a full crown. In other cases, [braces or other orthodontic treatment] may be recommended to resolve issues with spacing or tooth alignment.
Cost and Insurance Coverage for Veneers
The cost for veneers can vary based on the material used to make the veneer, the tooth or teeth that will have veneers placed, and other factors. Consultations for veneers are always complimentary. Your dentist will review what treatments are needed, and our staff will provide you with information about any fees associated with the procedure, as well as options available to help make sure your receive the dental care you need in a way that fits into your budget.
Where can I get Dental Veneers?
All 1st Family Dental locations offer dental veneers as a part of our full-service general and specialty treatment options.