How to Prepare for Getting Dental Veneers

Dental veneers can change everything about your smile. If you are displeased about the appearance of your teeth, then you can consider getting veneers. They are effective for teeth that are stained or discolored, chipped, broken, gapped, crowded or irregularly shaped. This article explains important facts about getting dental veneers and how to prepare for the procedure.

About the dental veneers procedure

Patients must understand that getting dental veneers is not an instant process. They cannot expect to complete the procedure in one dental appointment. The first visit is usually for consultation, dental preparation and taking impressions of the teeth. The dentist may need to perform additional treatments such as replacing silver fillings or whitening nearby teeth that are not receiving veneers. The dentist will develop a treatment plan and walk the patient through the entire process.

How dental veneers work

Veneers are simply thin porcelain shells bonded onto the surface of the flawed tooth to alter its appearance. When bonded onto the front set of teeth, the patient’s smile will appear whiter and straighter. After opting for veneers, patients have the chance to select from traditional porcelain veneers or no-prep veneers.

Porcelain dental veneers

Porcelain is typically used for dental restorations, including crowns and bridges because of its durability. With veneers, the porcelain can be modified to cover only the front and side portions of the tooth. The placement procedure is like getting a dental crown. The patient will need to visit for tooth preparation, after which an impression will be taken and sent to the dental lab that will create a custom veneer.

If a patient is eligible for standard composite veneers, the treatment will start with a diagnostic mockup of the possible veneer design. The dentist will take an impression and make a model veneer to give the patient an idea of what their teeth will look like after the procedure. Preparing the tooth involves shaving off portions of the tooth enamel to create space for the new restoration.

No-prep dental veneers

The no-prep veneers procedure means there is no need to prepare the tooth before bonding the veneer onto it. This removes the drilling process, anesthesia administration or any invasive procedure. The dentist will simply condition the tooth and place the veneer. This option means that patients can preserve the structure of the teeth. If the patient decides they no longer want the veneer or if the restoration fails, they can simply have them removed. The teeth will simply go back to the way they were before the veneer placement procedure.

While many patients are usually satisfied with the results of the no-prep veneers procedure, it is still convenient to have a totally reversible treatment should they want that option. The process is similar to placing traditional veneers, only that there is no preparation of the teeth. Making the veneers typically takes about two weeks, after which the patient will need to return to the dentist for placement.

Final note

When you opt for dental veneers, your dentist will help you choose the size, shape and shade of teeth that will produce the most aesthetically appealing results.

Request an appointment here: https://totalcareimplantdentistry.com or call Total Care Dentistry & Implants at (760) 394-3088 for an appointment in our Palm Desert office.

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