Porcelain Veneers: Things To Know Before Getting Them Done

Have you ever seen a celebrity on screen, stage or live display a set of gorgeous, sparkling white teeth, and you wonder how those sets of teeth became so white and beautiful? There are many ways to achieve that. Everyone loves clean teeth but not everyone ends up getting them. For some, the problem lies in their inability or refusal to care adequately for their teeth. Caring for the teeth involves brushing adequately, and avoiding unhealthy food and drinks, especially at late hours of the night. To others, they are unable to keep their teeth white no matter how hard they try.

Now, what are Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers, also known as dental veneers, porcelain laminates are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of porcelain material, that are made in the colour of beautiful white teeth and used to cover the front surface of the teeth to improve their appearance and the overall appearance of the individual. They are specially fixed on to the teeth by dentists, who are specialised doctors who handle teeth and mouth conditions. Veneers may also appear to change the shape, size or length of the teeth after they have been fixed onto them.

Generally, veneers are any materials dentists can apply to your teeth to improve their appearance. Porcelain is a white glassy ceramic material that can be used to make pots, cups, pottery, as well as veneers. Porcelain veneers are the commonest type of veneers in use today due to some reason, but there are other types of veneers you can get at the dental clinic.

Porcelain veneers have found popularity over the years. Popular celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jennifer Garner, Megan Fox and even Donald Trump have been reported to use porcelain veneers.

Factors That Affect People’s Choice For Porcelain Veneers

Not everyone who wants to get veneers done opt-in for porcelain veneers. In fact, there are other types of veneer material very similar to porcelain but have slightly different properties and costs. These include Lumineers veneer, Instant veneers, composite veneers, etc. The choice of which of the types of veneers people opt-in for depends on the following reason;

1. Financial reasons
2. Social status
3. Necessity
4. Age of individual
5. Others

Financial reasons

Porcelain veneers may be expensive and unaffordable to the patient. Cheaper veneers often do not look so great or may not last long. So going for Porcelain veneers that last up to 10 to 15 years may require you to pay up to $1000 – $2000 per tooth. That’s a huge amount, right?

Social status

Being a celebrity automatically forces you to work on your public image, your appearance, beauty and other qualities of public interest. If you are a celebrity, it becomes more important for you to get your teeth enhanced by veneers, in contrast to someone who is not obliged to do so by virtue of celebrity status. First, you want to get veneers done compulsively, then, you want to get veneers of great quality like porcelain veneers.

Necessity

I have not mentioned this earlier, but porcelain veneers are considered permanent veneers. Permanent veneers (also called prep-veneers) are those types that you cannot remove at will. These are in contrast to the temporary (also called non-prep veneers) or removable veneers that you can easily remove while going to be and wear when next you have a show.

For people with crooked teeth, worn-down teeth or discoloured teeth, it becomes a thing of necessity to get permanent veneers done, of which porcelain is a very typical example.

Age of individual

The singular reason that porcelain veneers are permanent or pre-veneers can affect whether an individual will opt in for them or not. Younger people below the age of eighteen should be reminded that porcelain veneers are prep veneers before they are fixed on their teeth. Aside from this, age does not play any significant role in how porcelain veneers are fixed, the success of the procedure or their final appearance.

Others

Other factors may include advice from friends, personal preferences or campaigns by certain persons or organizations.

Conditions When You May Specifically Need Porcelain Veneers

When it comes to making decisions from a pool of other choices, very often it gets a little bit difficult. Making the choice of which veneer to use or which dental procedure to carry out requires a thorough knowledge of the anatomy of your teeth.

A personal consultation with a dentist will be very important at times like this, so we have decided to collaborate with Dr Michael Nussbaum DDS is one of the best cosmetic and family dentists in Austin, TX. He will examine and counsel you on which type of veneers will be best for your teeth and for your budget.

There are some features that automatically make you a candidate for porcelain veneers. Here are some of those features;

1. Permanent teeth discolouration from root canal treatment, tetracycline stains, excessive fluoride, large resin fillings, etc.
2. Chipped, cracked, broken, or crooked teeth.
3. Worn-out teeth.
4. Misaligned, uneven, or irregularly shaped teeth (for example, teeth having craters or bulges in them).
5. Gapped teeth or teeth spaces.
6. And if the factors I discussed above favour you to have porcelain veneers.

If you have made up your mind to go for porcelain veneers, Dr Michael and his team of dentists can give you professional care as you fix your porcelain veneers in the facility. They will also assess your teeth if there are any medical reasons why you cannot have porcelain veneers. What are some of these medical reasons? Below are some reasons why your request to get porcelain veneers may be turned down.

Factors That Make You A Bad Candidate For Porcelain Veneers

There are a few criteria that may make you a bad candidate for porcelain veneers in any facility. Dr Michael has listed these few criteria/some underlying teeth conditions that may put you off as ineligible for the procedure;

1. If you habitually clench or grind your teeth.
2. If you have an overcrowding of teeth.
3. If you have poor oral hygiene.
4. If you have tooth decay or gum disease.
5. If you have teeth mal-alignment, e.g, crossbite and underbite.

If the above are present, you are advised to first consult your dentist to take care of these underlying teeth conditions, after which you become an eligible candidate to get porcelain veneers done.

Where Can You Get Your Porcelain Veneers Done?

If you are in Austin, TX or close by, we recommend Dr Michael Nuubaum DDS. But if you are in other locations or in a different part of the world, you should see a dentist in any dental clinic close to you for consultation, counselling and for the procedure.

Alternative To Veneers For Teeth Whitening

With good oral hygiene, you can maintain a shiny set of teeth and a fresh breath. However, not everybody is able to achieve very white teeth even with the best care ever. In this case, there is a need for some interventions by the dentist. Getting porcelain veneers done will be a necessary next step after you have tried other dental interventions.

A great alternative for teeth whitening is Scaling and Polishing (S and P), which involves the removal of plaque and calculus (white or yellowish hard deposits that accumulates on your teeth but the use of dental floss).

For most people, depending on a number of factors including cost, scaling and polishing may be enough intervention. But when scaling and polishing, and good oral hygiene could not produce satisfactory results in terms of teeth whitening and a beautiful smile, porcelain veneers may become useful if the individual is eligible and can afford them.

What should you know about the procedure?

If at this point, you have made up your mind to get porcelain veneers done, here are a few things I think you should know about the procedure itself:

• The porcelain veneer fixing procedure needs about a week to complete.
• In the hands of a good dentist at a recognized centre, the procedure can be painless and comfortable.
• For porcelain veneers to be fitted, your teeth are thinly shaved before the porcelain is placed.
• As part of the procedure, the dentist takes a mould impression of your mouth to make the porcelain veneers.
• Before completion of the procedure which could take up to a week, you will be given a temporary set of veneers until the permanent ones are ready.
• When they are ready, you will be called to the dental clinic, where your porcelain veneers will be fitted on your teeth with bonding cement and cleaned after making any adjustments.
• In total, it usually requires three visits. One for the consultation with the dentist on your desire to get porcelain veneers, the other two for the procedure itself.

Conclusion

There is nothing more beautiful than having radiant, glistening teeth and a clean breath. It enhances your confidence, improves your speech and adds to your sense of personal worth. Porcelain veneers help you to achieve that. Drop questions and comments in the comment box below, if any.

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