Your smile can impact more than your appearance and affect your self-consciousness, confidence, first impressions, relationships, social life, and career.
If you’re unhappy with your smile, veneer teeth are a fast and durable solution that can help you fix most oral problems and improve your smile.
Veneers are thin custom-made fittings attached to the front surface of your existing teeth to give you a smile you’ve always craved with whiter, stronger teeth.
To help you choose veneers that best suit your smile and needs, this guide explores what dental veneers are, the types available, how long they can serve you, their pros and cons, cost, and how to maintain them.
What Are Veneers?
Veneers refer to a fitting or coating attached to surfaces of imperfect teeth to improve their appearance. Similar to furnishing your home, you can use veneers to furnish your teeth and make them look nicer.
You can think of dental veneers as thin sheaths that house your teeth.
Veneers can be customised in texture, shape, and colour and adjusted or altered to help you achieve your dream smile, whether you want a pearly-white grin or a naturally-appealing subtle smile.
Veneers are bonded to a tooth’s front surface to create a new look for an individual or several teeth. They’re used as a treatment method to resolve various oral issues like:
- Discoloured teeth
- Worn teeth
- Crooked or chipped teeth
- Filled teeth
- Uneven teeth
- Gappy teeth
- Teeth that stick out or inwards
- Small and big teeth
There are various dental veneers, and the particular type suitable for you will depend on a thorough analysis and assessment of your teeth.
Types of Veneers Available at Bespoke Smile, Marlow
Veneers range from permanent to temporary solutions. Bespoke Smile offers the following types:
Ultra-Thin Veneers
Ultra-thin veneers are also called no-prep veneers.
They’re extremely thin, porcelain, and durable and can give you great results with minimal tooth invasion that keeps most of your tooth tissue intact.
It’s a popular choice among patients since it’s a minimally invasive treatment likely to last longer because the tooth structure is not weakened.
Thanks to technological advancements, ultra-thin veneers don’t require extensive enamel filing and will not appear too bulky on your teeth.
Since most of the tooth enamel is preserved, you’re less likely to experience post-op sensitivity after treatment with ultra-thin veneers.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are an excellent treatment method for chips, discolouration, and cracks.
Porcelain is the most effective and popular material for veneer manufacturing and is often the most expensive.
However, porcelain veneers are a worthwhile investment thanks to their teeth-resembling transparency, resistance to everyday staining from tea, coffee, wine, or cigarettes, and longer life span.
You’ll need at least two visits to prepare and get porcelain veneers.
They’re usually hand-designed and custom-tailored at Bespoke Smile to suit your needs.
Despite their durability, porcelain veneers are not reparable and need replacement in case of damage.
Composite Veneers
Composite veneers are made of tooth-coloured resin and usually feature a lower price, quicker application process, and can target various issues like chips, mishappen teeth, and discolouration.
They’re less durable than porcelain veneers, and the lifespan depends on aftercare. You should treat them like natural teeth with regular check-ups, flossing, and cleaning.
The dentist must prepare composite veneers to ensure they look as good as porcelain veneers.
You’ll not experience any pain during treatment, and they can be applied straight to your teeth or custom-made indirectly by the dentist.
Emax Veneers
Emax veneers are porcelain custom-made solutions. Emax is a ceramic material made of lithium disilicate and provides a fast, durable and effective way to refurbish your smile in a few short appointments.
The pressed ceramic of Emax veneers provides strength and durability and allows the use of extremely thin material for impressive results.
Unlike traditional dental veneers, Emax veneers don’t require tooth etching and can be bonded and fitted to the front surface of the teeth with minimal preparation.
They’re lighter, thinner, and translucent rather than opaque for a more natural finish.
Lumineers
Lumineers are an ultra-thin variation of traditional porcelain veneers.
They’re custom-made shells measuring around 0.22mm and slip onto the problem teeth for a sparkling white, straight smile.
Lumineers make it easy to customise your final look and are translucent with a shade that can be adjusted depending on your needs.
They’re semi-permanent and can be safely removed. Lumineers require no teeth trimming or preparation before application and only need two appointments.
Patients often report the procedure as painless with no drilling or anaesthetic.
Lumineers provide good value for money but are not long-lasting or suitable for hiding chips or other tooth damage.
Laminate Veneers
Laminate veneers are made of dental ceramic water-thin shells and are carefully bonded onto the outer sides of your teeth.
Unlike dental veneers, laminate veneers are thinner, and only a tiny amount of your enamel is removed.
This is better for long-term dental health since your dental tissue is less likely to get damaged.
Laminate veneers can be costly, and since the tooth is not filed down, they can appear bulky on the teeth if they’re not correctly fitted.
They’re easily reversible and can be applied in a single appointment with little tooth preparation.
How Long Do Veneers Last?
Veneers can last you around 15 years or more, depending on the material and how well you care for them.
Porcelain veneers can last long without issues if you implement good oral hygiene and recommended regular hygienist visits.
Factors that can affect the longevity of veneers include:
- Oral Hygiene
Ensuring optimum oral hygiene is vital. The veneer itself will not decay, but parts of your teeth remain exposed.
Ensure you brush regularly and floss at least once a week to keep your veneers looking as good as possible.
- Gum Health
You must keep your gums healthy to avoid gum disease that can cause inflammation or cause your gums to recede.
Gum disease can result from plaque build-up caused by poor oral hygiene so prioritise oral hygiene to avoid such issues.
Your age, behavioural habits like stressing and smoking, or diseases like diabetes can also lead to gum disease.
- Teeth Grinding and Chewing Hard Objects
Porcelain and other veneer materials are highly durable, but they can become worn out gradually with repeated attrition.
Grinding teeth is a harmful habit that can damage your veneers severely. If you have this problem, ensure it’s looked into and treated to avoid damaging your veneers.
- Initial Placement
How long your veneers last may also depend on how they were put in or attached.
Veneers bonded directly to the tooth enamel are likely to last much longer than when teeth are reduced to the dentin below the enamel.
Some reduction may be necessary to accommodate the veneers, but at Bespoke Smile, removal and preparations are kept to a minimum to reduce teeth damage and increase veneer lifespan.
What Are The Pros And Cons?
Veneers can help you target and resolve dental and cosmetic issues, but you must consider their pros and cons to make an informed decision.
Pros of veneers include:
- You’ll feel better about yourself, reduce insecurities and improve your confidence
- They offer faster results than other options, and you can have a new smile after a few appointments
- They’re long-lasting and stain-resistant and can reach up to 20 years with proper care
- You can personalise veneers to suit your goals and preferences
- They can give you back a natural-looking smile without invasive procedures
- They can target multiple dental and aesthetic issues at once to avoid future oral problems
- Veneers involve a minimally invasive procedure that requires little preparation or drilling
- You can maintain veneers like natural teeth with no special requirements.
Cons of veneers include:
- The veneer treatment is irreversible because the teeth will be reshaped to fit the veneers. You must be 100% certain that you want veneers before the procedure begins.
- Veneers are ineffective if you have weak teeth or gum disease. Ensure you get veneers from a reputable, experienced dentist who will conduct a complete check-up to ensure you’re a suitable candidate before committing.
- Veneers can be expensive. A payment plan can break costs into a more affordable schedule of payments.
- If you place veneers on individual teeth instead of a complete set, you may have different shades of white as the natural teeth change while veneers remain the same.
- Veneers can cause your other teeth to become sensitive.
Maintaining Your Veneers
You must maintain your veneers to ensure they continue to enhance your smile for years to come.
A few ways to care for your dental veneers and increase their lifespan include:
Proper Oral Hygiene
Veneers need regular cleaning and upkeep like normal teeth, including regular brushing, flossing, and mouthwash.
You’ll get a few pointers from your dentist on how to care for your veneers properly, like avoiding being too aggressive to ensure you don’t crack or chip them.
Use Appropriate Toothpaste
You may need to change your toothpaste after getting veneers. Gritty toothpaste used to polish teeth surface stains can damage your veneers.
Veneers also need to blend seamlessly with the surrounding teeth, and whitening toothpaste can help prevent your natural teeth from looking different from the veneers over time or staining.
Stop Harmful Habits
Smoking or chewing tobacco and cigars harm your general health and can also damage your oral health.
They can cause yellow stains on your natural teeth and veneers, leading to discolouration.
Although veneers are highly resistant to stains and discolouration, the natural teeth surrounding them are not, which can cause noticeable differences over time.
Organise Frequent Dental Check-ups
A professional dental check-up is advised.
It can be frequent or after six months, depending on your circumstances.
Dental hygiene appointments help identify problems with your veneers before they become significant issues while keeping your teeth, gums, and oral structure healthy.
How Expensive Are Dental Veneers?
Bespoke Smile’s cost on veneers starts at £850.
You can book an appointment with a hygienist starting from £69 for cleaning, scaling, polishing, advice, and expertise on how to maintain your oral health.
You can also get financing options at 0% interest.
Check out the complete list of fees here.
Conclusion
Dental veneers are a fast, durable, and effective method to improve the aesthetic appearance of your smile or target dental issues.
Various veneers are available to enhance your teeth and improve your smile.
A dentist at Bespoke Smile can help you choose the right one through a thorough assessment and analysis.
Veneers can boost your appearance and confidence, help with dental issues, are durable, and require little maintenance.
However, they can be irreversible and are unsuitable for weak teeth or gums.
They can also be costly, but with the right payment plan, you can afford the cost.
Get a free consultation online to learn more about veneer treatment and start your journey towards your dream smile today!
