Dental veneers are usually made of porcelain or composite resin and require intensive preparation work. If you're not satisfied with the appearance of your teeth, dental veneers are an easy, minimally invasive way to restore the brightness of your smile and your confidence. Dental veneers are thin, tooth-colored shells that are attached to the front surface of the teeth to improve their appearance. Whether you have a dental problem, or you just don't like the color of your teeth and want to whiten them permanently, or you have a broken or chipped tooth, veneers can make your teeth look perfect.
Because veneers are considered cosmetic, dental insurance usually doesn't cover the cost of treatment. As is the case before any irreversible treatment, talk first during a professional consultation to review the advantages and disadvantages of putting on veneers and fully understand what you're getting into, since veneers are forever (well, more or less). Since veneers are both an aesthetic procedure and a serious dental procedure, be sure to see examples of the cosmetic dentist's work to make sure you like his style, but it's also important to ask for photos of smiles taken years later to see how the dentist's work has maintained over time. The cost of obtaining porcelain veneers with the entire mouth is an important factor in the patient's decision-making process to undergo this dental procedure.
A dental veneer is a thin tooth-colored layer that is custom-made to fit over the tooth or teeth and create a more pleasing appearance. Porcelain veneers can last up to 20 years or more with proper dental care, good oral hygiene and regular checkups. With proper care, porcelain veneers can last 10 to 15 years, while composite resin veneers will need to be replaced within 4 to 8 years. Some people may only wear a veneer in the case of a broken or chipped tooth, but many use between six and eight veneers to create an even, symmetrical smile.
Traditional porcelain veneers usually last at least 10 years (and some research suggests they can sometimes last up to 20 years), and unprepared veneers last between 5 and 7 years. Dental lab technicians create a custom-made set of veneers for you, which is then mailed to your dentist. One of the disadvantages of dental veneers is that they are generally considered an aesthetic improvement and, therefore, most insurance plans don't cover them. Most of the time, veneers are irreversible, because once your tooth is shaved, you can't shave and you'll have to keep applying veneers for the rest of your life.
