What are Veneers?
A veneer is a finger-nail thin layer of tooth-coloured material that is put onto the front of the tooth to improve the appearance.
This is done if the tooth has been damaged by decay or an accident, or if the tooth has badly discoloured for some reason.
What will my dentist do?
Veneers are usually made out of porcelain by a dental technician. You will have to visit the dentist more than once for this type of veneer.
- Your dentist will check any fillings in the teeth first.
- A very small amount of natural tooth needs to be removed-just enough to prevent the veneer making the tooth look or feel bulky. For this reason, it may not be necessary for the dentist to numb the tooth.
- Preparation time will depend on how damaged the tooth is and whether it needs to be built up with a filling first.
- The dentist will need to take an impression of your mouth, using putty-like material. This is so the dental technician can tell the shape and size of veneer to make for you.
- Your dentist will glue the laboratory-made veneer to the tooth when you next visit.
- Veneers sometimes come away from the tooth or break if the tooth is knocked. They can sometimes be glued back on, but will have to be replaced if they are damaged.
What are the benefits?
- Veneers can greatly improve your appearance. They hide imperfections, and you lose very little natural tooth material.
- Veneers also protect the tooth from any more damage. Tooth surface can be eroded by acid in the mouth; this can make teeth very sensitive to hot and cold. In this situation, veneers can protect the teeth.