“Smile!” It’s a phrase you hear all the time as people brandish cell phones and cameras at every opportunity. Most people are happy to smile. After all, that’s what a smile means: happiness. But for some, smiling is embarrassing. The good news: It doesn’t need to be. Dental veneers are a great way to fix your smile.
Dental veneers, or porcelain veneers, are wafer-thin shells of porcelain or resin that are permanently bonded to the surface of your tooth. With veneers, Dr. Shaun Alex at District Cosmetic Dental can fix many issues that keep your smile from being it’s brightest. Here are five smile flaws that veneers can correct.
1. Discolored Teeth
One of the most common problems that dental veneers can fix are dark or discolored teeth. Typical whitening may not be strong enough to remove years of coffee or tea stains. But even if you have never tasted a cup of coffee and have brushed regularly, you could have discolored patches on your teeth from medications like tetracycline and other antibiotics. Dental work such as fillings or root canals may also darken your teeth, making them stand out against other, healthier teeth.
2. Chipped Teeth
That jump on your bike might have seemed like a cool idea at the time. Unfortunately, you have to live with chipped front teeth for the rest of your life. Or do you? Dental veneers can cover chips and minor breakage in permanent teeth. Not only does this give your smile new life, but it also strengthens and protects the damaged tooth or teeth, preventing future issues.
3. Crooked teeth
You could suffer through years of braces or plastic aligners. Or you could just cover the teeth so they appear straight. It’s vital that you talk to an experienced cosmetic dentist like Dr. Alex. He has the experience to create a total veneer look that works with your face’s natural imperfections to give your teeth the perfect appearance.
4. Worn teeth
Are you grinder? Do you grind your teeth while sleeping or when you are stressed? If so, you may have worn down at least some of your teeth. In some cases, patients grind their teeth down to the nerve. This is more than just unsightly. It can be painful, and it can lead to other dental problems. Tooth veneers cover the worn areas, protecting them from cavities and further breakage while they make your smile bright.
5. Previous dental work
Your dentist needs to fill cavities or perform root canals when your teeth have suffered decay. But those very procedures can wreak havoc with your smile. Fillings may leave dark swaths across your teeth. Newer resin filling material may not match the natural color of your tooth. Root canals, while they might save the tooth, remove the blood supply. This naturally darkens the tooth, making it stand out against the other teeth.
Dental veneers cover these defects, keeping your teeth healthy as well as good-looking.
Be sure to talk to Dr. Alex to make sure that veneers are right for you. Veneers are not an all-or-nothing proposition. You can get veneers one, two, or all of your teeth as needed. In addition, consider the color of your natural teeth. Dr. Alex can help you choose the color that looks most natural for your smile and your whole face.