Dentistry is one field that has gained popularity over the years. With more awareness been created about oral hygiene recently, people have become more conscious of their pearly whites, and make their dental appointments seriously. Dentistry is thought to be expensive, but it is not- negligence causes it to be expensive. We only visit the dentist when we experience constant, sharp shooting pain in any tooth. It is purely due to negligence that you get handed a hefty bill by the dentist. It is also deemed as expensive as most medical insurance plans do not cover dental work. Dentistry is not just fillings and pulling out of teeth- there is more to it too.

WHAT ARE VENEERS?

Have you ever seen pictures of celebrities, when they were young, during their ugly duckling phase? Have you ever thought about how they got the perfect white smile when they grew up? These celebrities did not get rid of their maligned, chipped, and stained teeth miraculously. Let me break it to you: it did not happen naturally, but their dentist did it! In short, they underwent a full smile makeover.

Your smile and teeth are the most important and visible features of your face. One should not neglect it as it helps to boost one’s confidence. Just like botox and fillers are given importance, your teeth should also be given equal importance. Achieving the perfect set of pearly whites is not such a tedious process. These days, veneers have gained a lot of popularity after several celebrities were seen having them. This brings us to the main question: what are dental veneers?

Veneers or laminates are custom-made thin shells of porcelain, then are cemented onto the top surface of the teeth. They help to correct any discoloration of teeth, and any discrepancies in the shape, size, or length of the teeth.

WHO NEEDS VENEERS?

Veneers are considered to be more of a cosmetic procedure. They are used for patients with the following issues and concerns:

1. Stained and Discoloured Teeth Due To:

—Food such as soy sauce, red wine

—Drinks such as tea and coffee

—Excessive fluoride (fluorosis)

—Trauma

—Root canal treatment

—Drugs such as tetracycline

—Smoking

—Poor oral hygiene

—Genetics

—Ageing

—Old, bulky filling materials

—Acid regurgitation

2. Chipped and Worn Out Teeth Due To:

—Trauma

—Abfraction (loss of tooth structure from the gum margin)

—Attrition (loss of tooth structure due to teeth grinding)

—Erosion (loss of tooth structure due to acids, such as fizzy drinks and stomach acid regurgitation)

3. Irregularly Shaped or Malaligned Teeth

The lateral incisor is the most commonly found irregular tooth. It is known as the peg-shaped lateral. Genetics also plays a major role in tooth shape and malalignment of teeth.

4. Diastema Closure

Diastema is the gap that is found between two teeth. It is most commonly seen in the anterior teeth. Kids and adults both get affected by it. However, in children, once the permanent teeth come, the gap closes.

TYPES OF VENEERS

There are two types of veneers:

1. Porcelain

These veneers are the most widely used as they can resist staining better. They mimic the natural tooth surface almost exactly.

2. Resin Composite

These veneers are made of tooth-colored filling material. There are two types of composite veneers:

—Direct

The resin composite is applied directly onto the tooth surface when the tooth preparation is complete.

—Indirect

The material is the same, but the procedure is a bit different. The veneers are made outside of the patient’s mouth; either in-office or in a dental laboratory. For this reason, an impression of your teeth is taken.

Comparing the two materials, porcelain is more widely used and preferred because it is a much stronger material, therefore lasts longer, and it has a more natural-looking finish. However, they are expensive than composite veneers. Composite veneers are also widely used and achieving good results with composite is also possible, provided that the dentist is skilled and trained well. Composite veneers need to be replaced/freshened more frequently than porcelain veneers. You must discuss the best treatment option for you with your dentist.

THE PROCESS OF VENEERS

The procedure for veneers is split into three:

1. Consultation

Your dentist will examine and see if you are the right candidate for veneers or not. The dentist may take X-rays and impressions to examine the teeth and other structures around them. Once that is determined, the type of veneers will be discussed with you. The material of choice mostly depends on the patient’s expectations and his budget. Costing usually depends on the skills of the dentist and his area of practice.  

2. Preparation

The process for porcelain veneers and composite veneers is different as discussed above. However, for both types of veneers, the dentist will prepare the tooth structure by grinding away some structure of your enamel to create space for the veneer. Your dentist may decide to inject you with some local anesthesia to prevent any pain and discomfort. For porcelain veneers, a more natural tooth surface is removed, as compared to the tooth structure removed for composite veneers. For porcelain and indirect composite veneers, the dentist will take an impression of your teeth and adjacent structures to send to the lab. That is where the veneers are fabricated. You may be given temporary veneers by your dentist to help cover up the prepared tooth structure. These are usually made from a cheap plastic material known as acrylic. The lab may take up to 15 days for the preparation of your veneers.

For direct composite veneers, the tooth is prepared by re-shaping and removing some enamel. Then, the etchant (an acid) is applied to the tooth surface for 30 seconds (depends on the filling system being used) to make the tooth surface rough, and then it is washed and dried. Etching the tooth surface is important as it makes the surface rough by dissolving enamel tubules to create a better bond between the tooth surface and composite. Then, to the dried tooth surface, a bonding agent is applied and cured with light. Then the filling material is applied after the shade has been matched with the patient’s tooth color. The filling material is shaped by the dentist according to the desired shape and size. There are various filling systems available on the market. Some are light-cured, some are self-cured; the preparation steps may vary accordingly. Then, the filling is finished and polished and the patient is set to go home! This preparation can take up to 2 hours.

3. Mock-up

Before the final product is glazed and polished, the laboratory may send the unfinished veneers to the dental clinic for a trial by the patient. This step is not necessary but is important for the patient’s satisfaction. If any adjustments are to be made, they can be made right now. This helps to shorten the appointment time of the next appointment and helps to get a better finish of the final product. Once the patient is satisfied, the veneers are sent back to the lab for finishing. During this appointment, the patient can also check their speech with their new teeth.

4. Insertion

This is the final appointment where the dentist removes the temporary veneers (if they have been put on), cleans the tooth surface by removing the temporary cement, and then dries the tooth surface. The surface of the tooth might be roughened a bit more to get a better bond between the tooth structure and the veneer. Then, the cement is mixed and the veneer is cemented onto the tooth surface. While the cement is still not set, the dentist will carefully remove any excess cement that might have oozed out during the cementation process. If the mock-up/trial appointment was not done, then the veneers need to adjusted a bit before they are cemented, only if there is a need for adjustment. Minor adjustments can still be made, in the patient’s mouth, even after the veneers have been cemented.

After cementation, the patient is then ready to walk out of the clinic with his new smile! However, getting veneers does not mean that you do not have to visit your dentist ever again. You need to follow up with your dentist every 6 months to ensure the longevity of your veneers. Porcelain veneers can last up to 15 years if taken care of, and composite veneers can last up to 5 years, but discoloration is seen before that. For the rest of your life, you must not chew and bite down or hard things with your veneers. You must get a night guard for your teeth if you grind your teeth at night.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Social media has played a major role in creating awareness about your looks, including your teeth. Many celebrities and influencers are open about their smile makeovers and share their experiences with their fans on their social media accounts. Huda Kattan, the very famous beauty blogger, entrepreneur, and the owner of the leading cosmetic company, Huda Beauty, had shared her dental visit, with her fans, to Dr. Michael Apa in 2015. Having the most beautiful smile can boost your confidence 10 folds.