If you are unhappy with your smile, you might be considering cosmetic dentistry. No cosmetic dentistry procedure has as much power to transform your smile as veneers, sometimes called dental veneers or porcelain veneers.
However, no procedure is as misunderstood as veneers. That’s why we’re offering answers to the following common questions we get about them from our Miami Beach patients.
What are Veneers?
Veneers are thin pieces of advanced ceramic that attach to the front and sometimes the top of your teeth. Shaped to conform to your natural teeth, they provide a natural-looking new surface to your teeth. This new surface can dramatically transform the appearance of your smile.
Veneers used to be called porcelain veneers because they were made of porcelain. Now, people call them “porcelain veneers,” the way people casually talk about “tin foil,” or simply in reference to their color.
What Can Veneers Do For My Smile?
Veneers are an extremely powerful cosmetic dentistry treatment. They can transform your smile, giving you what look like entirely new teeth. With veneers, you can improve the appearance of:
- Discolored teeth
- Gapped teeth
- Worn or chipped teeth
- Poorly shaped teeth
- Small teeth
- Crooked teeth
With veneers, you can brighten your teeth, close gaps between teeth, and build up worn, small, or poorly shaped teeth. You can control the final results to get the smile you’ve always dreamed of or restore the smile of your youth. You can get a dramatic transformation of your entire smile or subtly improve the appearance of a single damaged tooth.
What Is The Dental Veneers Process Like?
The veneers process starts with a consultation. We’ll talk about your cosmetic goals, assess your oral health, and help you decide if veneers are the right way to achieve your goals. Bringing in a picture of what you want your smile to look like can be very helpful. If we both agree that this is right for you, then we’ll schedule your next appointment.
At the next appointment, we will decide on the design of your veneers. We will also determine the number of veneers you want to achieve the results you’re looking for. Then we’ll prepare your teeth to receive the veneers. This means removing some natural tooth material to make room for the veneers. We will take impressions of your prepared teeth and send these, along with the design of your veneers, to the dental lab.
Before you leave our office at this appointment, we will bond temporary veneers to your teeth. These often look good–better than the teeth you are covering–but not quite as good as your final veneers. They’re also not as durable.
When your veneers are ready, we will call you back for a fitting visit. You will try on the veneers, and we’ll decide if they’re as we ordered them. If we’re both satisfied with the appearance of your veneers, we will bond them to your natural teeth.
How Much Do Porcelain Veneers Cost?
It’s impossible to say how much veneers will cost for you. We don’t know your cosmetic goals nor the current state of your teeth. We haven’t talked about the quality of different veneers in terms of color, strength, and other differences between veneers. We don’t know how many veneers you will want, or even if they’re a good choice for you.
However, we can say that usually, veneers range in cost from about $900-2500 per tooth.
Can I Eat With Porcelain Dental Veneers?
Yes! Veneers are as strong as your natural teeth, so you can eat all the foods you ate with your natural teeth. You don’t have to give up any foods to protect your veneers. In fact, veneers are more resistant to some things, such as acids, than natural tooth enamel, making them less likely to weaken and erode if you often drink soda or wine.
How Long Do Porcelain Dental Veneers Last?
Veneers can be very long-lasting. When properly placed and well cared for, almost all veneers last ten years or more. In some cases, they can last for several decades.
How Do I Care For My Dental Veneers?
Caring for veneers is easy. At least, it’s not any harder than caring for your natural teeth. In fact, the most common cause of veneer loss is when the teeth they’re bonded to fail. So it’s important to take good care of your teeth after you get veneers. Brush regularly and thoroughly, and floss daily. Make sure you floss carefully between veneers.
If you experience bruxism (teeth clenching and grinding), you should wear a bite guard to protect your veneers. Bruxism can make you bite down much stronger than you do when chewing food, so it can damage veneers the way it might have damaged your natural teeth. Don’t bite hard non-food objects–like pens or fingernails–and don’t use your teeth as tools (such as scissors, bottle openers, or icebreakers).
Make regular dental appointments as your dentist recommends. Usually, this means the same twice-a-year appointments as before.
Have More Questions about Veneers in Miami Beach?
Although the above questions are common, we understand that many people have other questions they need answered, or perhaps they want more detail about one of the questions above. If you have further questions or are ready for veneers in Miami Beach, our cosmetic dentists are ready to help.
Please call (305) 535-2225 or email us today to schedule an appointment at SoBe Dentist in South Beach.
