Your teeth are one of the first impressions people have of you. Dental veneers can help you improve the look of your teeth and boost your confidence with the perfect smile. However, when learning about dental veneers, a lot of people are curious if they can go ahead with the procedure with gum disease. We will explore that in this article.
Will Gum Disease Rule You Out as a Veneers Candidate?
Sometimes called periodontal disease, gum disease is a bacterial infection that affects the gums and can damage your jawbone if left untreated.
Veneers involve cosmetic dentistry, and dentists only recommend them for patients with healthy gums and teeth.
If you have gum disease, you must deal with it first to be a candidate for gum or gingival veneers.
This guide explores what veneers are and how they can help you if you have gum disease.
What Are Dental Veneers?
Veneers are coatings or fittings attached to bad teeth to improve their aesthetic appearance.
They’re customised to the shape of your teeth and bonded to your tooth’s original enamel in the treatment procedure.
Veneers are one of the best cosmetic dentistry treatments for dental aesthetic issues like chipped teeth, staining, and crooked or misshapen teeth.
They’re a fast and effective treatment option manufactured using materials like composite resin or porcelain.
Porcelain veneers can give you a more natural look by mimicking the light-reflecting properties of natural teeth and are more resistant to stains than composite resin veneers.
Veneers are a less invasive option that guarantees long-lasting results and oral health since they don’t worsen your tooth structure.
How Do Dental Veneers Work?
Dental veneers fit over the front of your teeth through a minimally invasive procedure where the dentist only files a tiny amount of the enamel.
Veneers are adjusted and altered by grinding down a small part of the tooth to achieve your dream smile and ensure the crown fits perfectly between the teeth.
The amount of tooth structure the dentist or doctor will remove depends on your mouth structure and teeth.
Most veneers are very thin and will not damage surrounding teeth.
Veneers can change the shape, size, colour, and length of your teeth to improve their overall appearance.
The dentist confirms that you’re happy with the veneers through a test smile, cleans your teeth to prevent bacteria that can cause tooth decay and bonds the veneer to your tooth or teeth.
Dental veneers usually involve one or two visits, including diagnosing and planning treatment for cases, preparation, and bonding.
The process differs based on the types of veneers you’re getting.
You can get composite veneers in your first dental office visit, while porcelain veneers require more than one visit.
Is It Possible To Get Veneers If You Currently Have Gum Disease?
Veneers are an effective treatment for multiple dental issues.
Most people are self-conscious about their appearance and how it affects their social life, confidence, career, or relationships and choose veneers to reshape and improve their smile.
Veneers are a great option over other solutions like dental implants or dentures.
Implants require surgery, take several months to complete, and you may need bone grafting if the bone structures of your jaw are severely damaged to enable a stable foundation that can support the crown.
Veneers are less invasive, take less time and are more affordable.
However, you can’t get veneers if the gum disease remains active.
Your gums must be healthy and in good condition to be a good candidate for veneers.
Your dentist will thoroughly assess your teeth and gums to ensure you’re healthy enough to get veneers.
Oral health problems like gum disease can make it difficult for veneers to bond to your teeth because of the high probability of swelling and bleeding.
Getting veneer impressions of teeth with active gum disease can cause more damage to irritated gums and lead to unsatisfactory results, limiting the veneers’ success.
Before getting veneers, you must use an effective gum disease treatment plan and practice good dental hygiene.
So, what porcelain veneers can you get with gum disease after treatment?
Gum recession usually occurs after treating gum disease.
Your smile can change and become unsightly, and since gum tissue doesn’t grow back, the best way to improve the look of your receding gums is through gum veneers.
Although they’re not as well-known as teeth veneers, gum veneers can help you cover up and hide the spaces left by gum disease.
Can I Cure Gum Disease?
Yes. Gum disease can be reversed and controlled with regular professional cleaning and a good home oral routine, especially in the early stages of the disease.
Your dentist or hygienist can successfully treat severe gum disease with more extensive treatment like corrective surgery, scaling, deep cleaning or medications taken by mouth or placed under the gums.
Treatments like laser gum therapy can help cure moderate to severe gum disease using a specific type of laser.
It helps eradicate the bacteria causing the infection and is painless and risk-free with a short recovery time.
Practising proper plaque control where you brush daily, floss frequently and go for professional cleaning can help reverse early gum disease and prevent it from getting worse.
Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste to eliminate plaque on teeth surfaces.
Are There Multiple Variations of Gum Disease?
Yes. You can have periodontitis or gingivitis gum disease.
Gingivitis is also called gum inflammation, and it usually occurs before periodontitis.
Most people get gingivitis at some point, but they easily ignore it because of its mild symptoms.
Although not all gingivitis progresses to periodontitis, it can cause more significant problems for your mouth when left untreated.
Bacteria in plaque build up in the early gingivitis stage and cause inflated gums that easily bleed when you brush or floss.
Other signs of gum disease include occasional bad breadth, swelling and redness of gums.
You can reverse and prevent gingivitis through daily brushing, flossing, regular dental check-ups, and cleanings.
With periodontitis, pockets develop when the bone and gums’ inner layers pull away from your teeth.
Such spaces between the gums and teeth collect debris and become infected.
As the plaque grows below the gum line and spreads, your immune system attempts to fight off the bacteria.
Your body’s enzymes and the bacteria in the plaque produce poisons and toxins, which start breaking down the connective tissue and bone holding your teeth in place.
The spaces get more profound as the disease worsens, and extensive bone and gum tissue get destroyed.
As a result, your teeth get loose and are no longer held in place, causing tooth loss and other cardiovascular health problems.
Conclusion
So can you get veneers if you have gum disease?
You can only get veneers after treating gum disease and controlling the infection by maintaining proper oral hygiene.
Veneers are only cosmetic dentistry solutions that improve the appearance of your smile and will not cure gum disease.
The right dentists will require you to use an effective gum disease treatment plan and practice good dental hygiene before getting veneers.
If you have questions or need guidance on proceeding, speak to an expert today by booking a free consultation with Bespoke Smile.