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Are You Thinking About Veneers?

by | Mar 19, 2015

Are you satisfied with the look of your teeth? Perhaps you have one discolored tooth or a few teeth that you chipped playing sports. Maybe you just want a quick fix for the alignment or spacing of your teeth. If any of these sound familiar, dental veneers might be for you. Veneers are an investment in your appearance, so learning about them before jumping in would be a decent decision. Dental veneers are thin, translucent, shells that are custom-made and designed to look like teeth. They are used to cover the front teeth in order to give the patient a beautiful, quick and convenient smile. Veneers can cover up chips and cracks, change the colour, shape, and size of your teeth, and can even make teeth look straighter or fix abnormal spacing. The results are natural looking and long lasting. In fact, many celebrities get veneers in order to exhibit that ideal, pearly white, smile that many of us strive for. The two most common types of veneers are porcelain and composite resin. The former are prepared outside of your mouth and take two or three visits to the dentist. They are also stain resistant; nevertheless, dentists still recommend you brush your teeth after drinking coffee, tea, wine, or carbonated beverages. The latter veneers are made inside of your mouth, and only require one visit. Moreover, composite veneers cost less than porcelain ones, and is a good way to fix minor aesthetic problems. However, porcelain veneers typically last up to 10 or 15 years (and will then need replacing), whereas composite veneers only last between 5 and 7 years. Dental veneers do not require any special care; simply brush and floss your teeth as you normally would. However, there are a few downsides to veneers: the procedure is non-reversible, and veneers are not repairable if they are chipped or cracked. Thus, if you are one who likes to grind your teeth, veneers might not be for you. Apparently George Clooney grinds his teeth when he is stressed, and continues to do so even after getting veneers… If you are George Clooney, I guess you can afford new veneers.