Veneers used for ‘instant’ orthdontics

How we use dental veneers for more than just masking chipped and stained teeth

It is sometimes thought by patients, that dental veneers are designed to be used on only a few teeth, perhaps one or two at the front that have become chipped or stained. The reality though is that they can be used far more extensively and for more than simply improving the whiteness of your teeth. Although most people do associate them with whitening or perhaps to cover a badly chipped or stained tooth, they can also be used to mask poor natural positioning of a person’s teeth.

A lot of people have teeth that are far from straight and so uneven and crooked that orthodontic treatments such as Invisalign or Damon system braces may not be suitable.

In cases like these, dental veneers come into their own and are highly effective in providing an almost instant fix for uneven teeth. Here, at our Sutton Coldfield dental practice, we have fitted several of these to a patient’s teeth in order to correct their unevenness and to give them a new confident smile.

Unlike dental braces where the process can take a long period of time, often years, dental veneers can straighten the teeth in just a few weeks.

Dental Veneers Process

In the first instance, the patient will visit our practice for a consultation and examination to decide the best approach. Once this has been decided and agreed with the patient, a fine layer of the enamel on the patient’s teeth will be removed and impressions taken which are then used to produce the dental veneers. Increasingly, these are done in-house using CEREC, the latest in-house technology where veneers and crowns can be made whilst the patient waits, negating the need for temporary veneers and a second visit.

Once the veneers have been produced, they are then attached to the front of the prepared teeth with dental cement which will hold them firmly in place. The new veneers will then be trimmed and any rough edges smoothed down before finally being polished. This treatment will leave them looking natural and will dramatically improve the appearance of your teeth.

How long the veneers last will often depend on the patient themselves. Whilst most veneers last for around ten years or perhaps a little more, if the patient has a tendency to eat softer foods, they may well last longer whereas someone who eats a lot of hard foods or who grinds their teeth badly (bruxism) are likely to see this longevity reduced.

If you are thinking of having dental veneers fitted, and have a tendency towards bruxism, then please talk to one of our dentists in our Sutton Coldfield practice to discuss the options that are available and whether you would be a suitable candidate to have your teeth straightened using dental veneers.