By Arthur Kezian

If you do not want to be conscious of your teeth every time you smile or open your mouth, you can consider dental veneers. Dental porcelain veneers can provide the right aesthetics in providing a more beautiful smile. There is minimal tooth reduction, which is more conservative in a tooth restoration than that of using dental crowns.

Dental veneers permit an easy alteration to your tooth position, size, color and shape. The result is amazing, besides the aesthetics.

Facts About Dental Veneers

Although only 0.5mm of your tooth is shaved or reduced, dental veneers are considered an irreversible tooth treatment. You must be careful in your consideration of undertaking dental veneers treatment by weighing the pros and cons.

There may or may not be need to administer local anesthetic for certain types of dental veneers, like porcelain laminate materials, unless the patient is highly nervous about the procedure.

As lab work is necessary, a certain time- frame is required to produce the veneer. Sometimes, it could take a week, but the minimal tooth reduction makes it easy to fabricate the needed veneer immediately, than to resort to temporary pieces.

You might be subject to hot and cold sensitivities in between your dental veneers treatment visits. This is due to the removal of enamel from your treated tooth. The sensitivity should be eased with your porcelain veneer placement.

Your next visit may be longer, due to the positioning of the laminates using the light- sensitive resin that gets hardened with white light.

Exercising Caution

When your veneers are in place, they can function as well as your original healthy teeth. They are strong and can resist most forces from a normal diet. Although some dental veneers, like those made from porcelain, can be very strong in crushing food, these have low tensile strength, which can twist the laminate. Hence, you should avoid certain actions like opening pistachio nuts using your dental veneers, or chewing candy apples or bones.

Dental porcelain veneers require the normal, good oral hygiene of regular brushing and flossing. These will restore the good health of your gum tissues, if you use non-abrasive toothpaste. Continue to practice a diligent home oral care regimen, for a longer lasting dental veneer functioning.

It is a recommendation that you avoid clenching your teeth, which may adversely affect your dental veneers. You should bring this issue up to your dentist, who can assist with a soft night-guard, which you can put on when you sleep, to reduce the stress on your dental veneers.

Follow up visits

There should be at least one follow up visit with your cosmetic dentist after your complete treatment to evaluate your veneer placement. Your dentist will have a chance to confirm the laminate placement, tissue response and ease your concerns of your new dental veneers.

You may take a couple of weeks to get used to the new addition in your mouth, but you will soon be at ease with the many smiles you sport, when you are well complimented on your beautiful smiles.

Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777