Dental veneers are thin shells made of natural materials, or “veneers” cemented over a tooth’s front. They are most often used to correct cosmetic flaws in teeth such as chips, stains, gaps between teeth, misshaped cusps, and canines.

Veneers are so effective because they flawlessly mask imperfections in teeth by matching color and shape while also eradicating stains. This makes them an ideal alternative for patients who wish to improve their smile without undergoing extensive dental work such as crowns or bridges.

They also allow patients with severe tooth decay to avoid having multiple cavities filled each time one appears. Veneers protect the original tooth structure from damage and restore its enamel surface. Veneers are used to restore a smile’s appearance when a visible flaw affects how it looks, functions, or feels in the mouth.

Veneer Use and Process

Using veneers allows patients with severe tooth decay to avoid the cost and inconvenience of one filling after another. They can be made by dentists skilled in creating them out of composite resin material, porcelain clay, or enamel quartz which is then covered with wax for sculpting into custom shapes that fit each patient’s mouth perfectly.

The process begins by taking an impression of the teeth that will receive the veneer to be tailored precisely to fit them, including their shape, color, and size. This requires several visits overtime before the final product is ready to be cemented onto the tooth’s surface. Veneers are typically worn for about a decade, after which time they may need to be replaced depending on how well they have withstood the test of time.

Who Can Use Them?

Teeth veneers usually start to be used around thirteen to fourteen years old but can also begin as early as eight years old. This is because there might be baby teeth being kept or removed from the mouth that could cause an alignment problem. The patients’ teeth should not be too far apart for a veneer treatment to take place. Additionally, any cavities in need of work must be taken care of beforehand.

It takes multiple visits over the course of about a year for a patient’s new veneers to be fitted and sculpted correctly so they fit perfectly in their mouths. Each visit requires another impression of the patient’s teeth to create a new veneer that matches the others. This process ensures that they will look and feel great in the patient’s mouth and function properly as well.