Dental Veneers and Laminates
When we picture our ideal selves in our mind, one of the first things we probably end up imagining is a perfect smile. You know the one. That smile that only movie stars seem to have… pearl white, perfectly fitted, and uniform.
Sadly, in reality, this never happens naturally. Teeth end up getting stains from tea, wine, or coffee, they grow uneven, and sometimes they even end up breaking down over the years. However, there is no need to live with a smile that you are not comfortable with. Here at Alaska Dental Associates, we want you to have that lovely smile you always wished and show the world your pearly whites with pride. And that’s exactly what porcelain veneers are meant to do.
What Are Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are the perfect solution for people who have lost confidence in their smile thanks to small imperfections such as stains or missing enamel. In dentistry, we define a veneer as a wafer-thin layer of strong porcelain that can replace natural tooth enamel without anybody noticing.
When attached to the natural surface of your tooth, veneers create an organic-looking, beautiful new exterior. Like normal tooth enamel, porcelain is translucent and tough but it doesn’t stain the same way that enamel does. The technology of porcelain veneers has advanced so much that veneers can be made so incredibly thin that they are sometimes bonded directly with your existing tooth surface. One thing is sure when getting porcelain veneer: the results are so drastic they will have you smiling all day long!
What Are the Best Uses for Porcelain Veneers?
Veneers are so versatile that they can correct almost anything you dislike about the way your teeth look. They are available in numerous shades from natural colors to stunning whites, leaving you free to choose which tone suits your smile best. Their shapes and sizes are also perfectly adjustable, which means no more unaligned teeth, and they can also help in closing those small gaps between teeth.
More extensive and more significant corrections, such as large gaps and severe misalignment, are better fixed with other dental treatments.
What to Expect From Your Dental Veneers
The superficial characteristics that veneers pose make the procedure of implementing them a rather painless one. Patients will need almost no recovery time after the dentist pastes the veneers to their enamels, and only a few minutes of waiting time are necessary while the veneers are exposed to a special lumiose ray in order to set and dry the bond sticking them to the surface of your teeth.
Finding Your Perfect Smile
The process of applying veneers is a straightforward one. Most cases will require only a few visits to Alaska Dental Associates. However, before any visit to the dentist or the start of any procedure the patient must be the one who takes a long hard look in the mirror. Anyone interested in getting veneers must know what it is about their smile they don’t like; taking pictures of yourself smiling is a great place to start a discussion.
After knowing what is it that you wish to change, it is possible to get an idea of how veneers would end up looking on your teeth through one of several ways. One is by creating a model of your teeth in which wax veneer-like substances can be placed for you to examine approximately how your smile will look. Other options include using acrylic or tooth-colored filling material to set them directly on your teeth to be able to demonstrate the effect that veneers would end up having on them.
All of this is done to ensure that you are completely satisfied with your veneers before making any changes to your teeth, and this might take a couple of visits. Once the decision on what to do has been agreed upon with your dentist, he will prepare your teeth through the removal of a small amount of enamel (only if necessary).
Creating Your Veneers
Afterward, molds of your teeth are going to be taken so that a skilled dental laboratory can create your own personalized veneers. During the time in between, you will receive a temporary set of veneers that you can wear during the few weeks that it will end up taking to create your permanent set of veneers. Immediately after getting the veneers from the lab, a special pasting technique will be utilized in order to cement them onto the surface of your teeth. Almost no anesthetics are required in this process, and it normally doesn’t take more than two visits to the dentist.
Aftercare for Porcelain Veneers
Although physical recovery is quick, you will need to take care of your veneers after they are implemented. Just as your natural teeth before, teeth that are restored thanks to veneers need brushing and flossing every single day. Ensuring that dental plaque is removed and that the gum tissue that supports the veneers stays healthy is extremely important.
Regular checkups at Alaska Dental Associates after your veneers are implemented will be vital to your oral health. Extra caution is necessary because, even though veneers are pretty tough, they will not be able to withstand the force that comes from using your teeth to bite into really hard surfaces, or if you end up using them as tools (such as when you’re opening packages).
Alaska Dental Associates is Your Answer For Anchorage Dental Veneers
Smiles are one of the first things we notice in people. They are a gift every single one of us has that should not be hidden because of a few superficial flaws that can be easily corrected. When it comes to your smile, veneers are a small price to pay for you to be able to show your beautiful teeth to the world confidently.
If you aren’t happy with your smile…
If you need a boost of self-confidence…
If your enamel has seen better days and you’re looking for a way to reset your dental health…
Porcelain veneers might be the perfect fit for you. At Alaska Dental Associates, we are committed to helping you find the smile of your dreams so that you can show off your pearly whites with pride. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to find out if porcelain veneers are right for you.
You can see our other cosmetic options here.