If you’ve been told by your dentist that you should have one or more dental veneers applied to your teeth, or you are investigating the possibility yourself in a bid to improve the brightness and evenness of your smile, then it’s a good idea to first understand what they are, and then find out how they can alter your appearance. Dental veneers are a cosmetic enhancement to the appearance of your teeth as they can hide any cracks, misshapen teeth, cover thin tooth enamel and help remove excess spaces between teeth.
They are not a replacement tooth, but instead they are a thin, strong shell that is applied to your tooth, to give the appearance of perfection, leaving your own teeth to stay happily inside your mouth. The ceramics used today provide a natural looking tooth, as the material is slightly translucent and allows a little of the natural colour to seep though, giving a softer look than some of the vivid white ones in the past.
So what can dental veneers help you alter?
Our teeth are covered with a thin but hard layer called enamel that protects our teeth from external attacks. However this hard shell can become discoloured due to diet or hereditary factors, and become a little worn. These teeth can be renewed in appearance with a new strong shell applied.
Our teeth can develop natural cracks in them, depending on diet and hereditary factors as we age. We can also have chips and our teeth may become a little uneven and misshapen. If you are a tooth grinder, this can also wear down the enamel and cause your teeth to look uneven.
For some people it’s just a case of hereditary factors in how their teeth are spaced within their mouth. A large and obvious gap between teeth, particularly the front ones, can cause some people to become super self conscious about their smile and talking to people they don’t know. Changing the way these front teeth look to others can dramatically alter a person’s confidence when talking to strangers.
Because the dental veneer is bonded to your tooth, it can strengthen it and help protect it against further damage. It is designed to fit your tooth exactly, crafted by experienced technicians from a strong porcelain substance. While they do have a suggested lifetime, with proper care this can be extended, and still be in good working order for a long time to come. While you may be advised not to use that tooth to crunch on too many raw carrots, you’ll have a mouth of teeth that both look great and work as they were designed to.