Not very even ones, permanent discoloration or gaps between your teeth make you reluctant to smile? Veneers, i.e. small porcelain flakes, will make you regain self-confidence. Check when it is worth choosing this solution, how to apply veneers and how much it costs.
Veneersare thin (0.2-1 mm thick) porcelain flakes that stick to the front surface of the teeth, thus concealing aesthetic defects.
Who are the veneers for?
Veneers can lighten the tooth, give it a beautiful shape and color, lengthen it, widen it or eliminate gaps between the teeth. They are also used for minor correction of the position of the teeth, e.g. in the case of slight twisting or crowding, especially of the lower incisors - this goal is achieved by selecting the appropriate thickness of the veneers. But these aligners are not a substitute for orthodontic treatment. Veneers are a good solution for people who want to lighten the color of their teeth and keep their natural color, but hide permanent discoloration. They are also used in the case of unsightly fissures or minor damage to the teeth, e.g. cracks, chipped or worn edges, or conspicuous fillings of the front teeth. However, when the teeth are badly damaged, ceramic crowns are used. The application of veneers excludes caries, gum disease, and malocclusion. They are also not used in people with occlusal para-functions, such as teeth grinding, teeth clenching, or nail biting, because then it is easy to damage or peel off the veneers.
Advantages of veneers
Veneers can change the appearance of individual teeth or their entire groups. Usually they are placed on the front teeth - from three to three or from four to four. For the rest, crowns or intermediate forms between veneers and crowns are used. This is due to the fact that the veneers are more delicate and cover only the outer (labial) surface of the tooth, non-chewing. For this reason, their placement involves little or no interference with the hard tissues of the tooth - during grinding, only a thin layer of enamel (corresponding to the thickness of the glued veneer) is removed or it is not performed if the veneer is to thicken or widen the tooth. In terms of color and touch, veneers are similar to natural tooth enamel, but they are not susceptible to cavities, abrasion, and severe discoloration. For themyou can perfectly reproduce the texture and shade of the tooth. Porcelain is also indifferent to tissues. Properly made veneers ensure good marginal tightness (the border of the transition between the veneer and the tooth is not visible), thanks to which there are no places where the bacterial plaque could settle. This risk is also limited by cements with antibacterial or bacteriostatic additives to which veneers are glued.
Applying veneers
You can get the teeth you want after 2-4 visits to the dentist. It all depends on the patient's expectations, the number and method of making veneers (ready-made or made to order). Before that, you only need to heal and whiten your teeth. During the first visit, an initial consultation and examination takes place to make sure that there are no contraindications for applying veneers. The dentist talks to the patient about his expectations. Then he makes impressions of the teeth, and then simulates the appearance of a new smile on these models (he selects the color and shape of the teeth; such an attempt is made especially in the case of radical changes). If the patient accepts the course and costs of the treatment (the price of a single veneer varies between PLN 1,200 and PLN 3,000), the so-called mockups of a new smile.
At the second visit, a trial model is put on the teeth (without grinding them) and such a temporary mock-up is worn for several days, thanks to which the patient can realistically assess the appearance of a new smile. If he has any comments, the doctor makes corrections at the next visit. Then he gently grinds the teeth under the veneers (sometimes it is enough to dull the enamel). The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Then the dentist takes impressions of the polished teeth and sends them to a prosthetic laboratory, where a technician prepares porcelain veneers based on the model. During the time needed for their implementation, the patient's teeth are secured with temporary veneers.
After 10-15 days, the dentist takes off the temporary protection and initially tries on the veneers. He also selects the color of the cement, on which he then sticks the porcelain overlays. Using a special lamp, the cement is hardened, its excess is cut off and the teeth are polished to make them perfectly smooth.
After applying the veneers
For several hours after applying the veneers, it is better to avoid coloring drinks (e.g. dark fruit juices), because sometimes discoloration appears at the border of the transition between the veneer and the enamel. You should also not bite off hard pieces of food so as not to damage the veneers.
Hygienic recommendations are standard - you need to brush your teeth with a soft toothbrush (ordinary fluoride toothpaste) at least twice a day, use a threaddentistry and mouthwash. It is good to come to check-ups twice a year. It is also worth systematically removing calculus and plaque in the dental office to maintain the perfect appearance of the teeth for a long time.
"Zdrowie" monthly