3 Ways Dental Veneers Improve Smiles

Dental veneers can help improve smiles by fixing many visible problems in your teeth. Discolored teeth, gaps, chips and irregularly shaped teeth can often be fixed with a professionally created and applied veneer. Veneer treatments can be a great alternative to crowns or bonding treatments.

What are dental veneers?

Dental veneers are a very thin piece of material that is placed on your natural tooth. Porcelain or composite materials are bonded to the front side of your teeth to create a strong, long-lasting and attractive tooth.

Veneers are different from crowns. Crowns encase the entire tooth, including the bite surface. Since the crown material is essentially creating an entirely new tooth with the original core and root, it must be much thicker. Veneers need much less grinding down of the original tooth surface to fit well.

Translucent veneer treatments are used to fix:

• Stained or discolored teeth
• Gaps between teeth
• Worn, broken or chipped teeth
• Uneven or misshaped teeth
• Irregular gum lines

How do veneers improve my smile?

1. Veneers create a natural tooth appearance
Porcelain and composite resin veneers are extremely thin, sometimes less than a millimeter wide. They create a translucent layer that absorbs and reflects light much like the different layers of your natural enamel teeth. With careful coloring of the material, your dentist can make sure the teeth with the veneers blend in with the rest of your smile while still improving overall whiteness.

2. Veneers resist staining
Some cosmetic whitening treatments wear off or enamel can become stained again. The veneer material is far more stain-resistant than natural enamel, so coffee, smoking and other sources of teeth staining won’t affect the coloring with good oral care habits.

Some tooth discoloration comes from genetic or childhood issues and will eventually show through other whitening treatments. Sometimes teeth will darken after a root canal or other surgery. Veneers can help correct those issues far better and longer than other teeth whitening options.

3. Veneers require less removal of original enamel than other options
It’s almost always better to keep as much natural tooth material as possible. Veneers usually require grinding or etching a very thin layer of enamel to provide a bonding surface. Other options like crowns need much more natural tooth surface to be removed. Keeping the natural bite surface and gum material intact will give you a healthier smile as well as a more attractive one.

Where can I get veneers in Akron, OH?

Dr. Walton has years of experience with dental veneers and other cosmetic options. He can help you determine if you’re a candidate for dental veneers at their Akron office. Contact us today for an appointment.

Sometimes patients may not be good candidates for dental veneers. Only your dentist can determine that. If you have untreated gum disease or cannot commit to strong oral hygiene habits, you may not be a candidate for veneers. Your natural teeth must also have enough enamel to which to bond the veneer. Patients with teeth-grinding habits may also need an alternative. Dr. Walton can help make sure that your other oral health conditions are treated before moving on to cosmetic treatments.