Dental Veneers: A Solution For Stained And Damaged Teeth

22 / 06 / 2017

Dental Veneers: A Solution For Stained And Damaged Teeth

Cosmetic Dentistry In Ipswich To Restore Your Smile

Having a teeth whitening procedure is often a person’s first step into the world of cosmetic dentistry. This is understandable as it is both an affordable and a non-invasive procedure.
For people whose teeth are a little discoloured but are in otherwise good condition, this is a great way to improve the appearance of teeth. For some though, a teeth whitening procedure may not be enough.

Where teeth are heavily stained; for example, after many years of heavy smoking, or where they have suffered from small chips and cracks, a whitening procedure would probably produce limited results and might only serve to highlight any chips or cracks.

Dental veneers

All is not lost for patients who have these problems, and, at the Lighthouse Dental Practice, we can use porcelain dental veneers, which, instead of attempting to change the colour of your teeth, actually replace the front surface enamel. Whilst this is a more invasive procedure than whitening, it is very popular for creating great-looking smiles. Just a very fine layer of the surface enamel is removed and then replaced with a carefully manufactured, porcelain veneer.

To perform this procedure, you will first be given a local anaesthetic to minimise any discomfort. Next, a tool known as a dental burr is used to shave a very fine layer from the front surface of your teeth. Once this has been done, impressions are taken of the teeth and sent to a dental laboratory, where your new veneers will be made. As this can take a week or two, temporary veneers will be attached in the meantime to protect your teeth and reduce any sensitivity.

When the new veneers have been returned to our Ipswich practice, you will be recalled and the temporary veneers removed. The new porcelain veneers will then be attached to your teeth using a strong dental adhesive and will finally be trimmed and polished to give a natural and attractive appearance.

Longevity and aftercare

Dental veneers should last for approximately ten years, although this will depend on how well you look after them. You will still need to clean and floss your teeth as dental decay, and any subsequent fillings, may alter the shape of the tooth and cause the veneer to be bonded less securely.

Although quite rare, veneers can become detached. This usually occurs when a person bites on a pen or opens a packet with their teeth or similar actions. Consequently, it is best if you avoid doing this to minimise the risk of detachment. In the event that your veneer does come off or works loose, please don’t attempt to rectify this yourself; especially using general adhesives, that can cause significant harm to your natural tooth. Whilst this might sound unlikely, unfortunately, cases of ‘DIY’ dentistry do crop up from time to time, usually with disastrous results.

So please leave it to the professionals!

If you would like to know more about veneers and how they can be used to enhance your smile, simply call the Lighthouse Dental Practice on 01473 257379. We’ll be pleased to help!

We are here to help you.
If you would like to speak to a member of our friendly team about any of the issues in this article please visit our contact page or call us on 01473 257379.