Bespoke Smile - The very best cosmetic dentist in Buckinghamshire

Book Hygienist

Is It Painful To Get Dental Veneers?

When considering cosmetic veneers, one of the first questions most people ask is, “Do veneers hurt?”

With so many horror stories out there about the pain and excessive enamel removal that’s required, it’s no wonder most patients associate nightmares of intense pain with dental veneers. The truth is that anything done incorrectly, including bad veneer procedures, can cause pain.

At Bespoke Smile, we focus on maintaining the structure and health of natural teeth, and as a result, we prefer a minimal or no preparation approach to veneers. This allows there to be

the most minimal impact to the tooth’s natural biology. The process is painless when the correct veneer procedure is followed by qualified cosmetic dentists. As a result, you are guaranteed a positive experience and beautiful results.

This guide provides the answers to the following questions:

“Do veneers hurt?”
“Are veneers painful?”
“Are teeth sensitive after veneers?”

In addition, we will clarify the veneer procedure, the recovery process, and the aftercare required for your new veneers.

Book Your Free Consultation

What You Need to

Why Do People Get Veneers?

Veneers are an excellent way to improve the appearance of your teeth. They can be used to conceal many cosmetic issues, such as chipped, discoloured, or crooked teeth. However, they are also a good option for strengthening teeth and protecting them from further damage, thus providing the perfect smile makeover. So do veneers hurt? The short answer is no; veneers do not hurt if a qualified professional follows the correct procedure.

Veneers Process: Before, During and After

When having the veneers fitted, injections are not always required, and this veneer process is pretty easy and straightforward.

The following steps will clarify what is involved in the veneer application process.

  • Tooth preparation: If required, a small amount of enamel is buffed away (0.5–1 mm) to ensure the veneer adheres to the natural tooth and meets aesthetic requirements.
  • Dental impressions: Impressions are taken of the hand-created trial smile, which is used to copy exactly the agreed-upon design. This is done using a fast-setting dental putty and a detailed bite record paste
  • The temporary veneers are gently removed and the final, permanent veneers are tried in for you to give the team the final go-ahead before fitting.
  • An etching gel is used to roughen the tooth surface slightly before the veneers are fitted. Phosphoric acid, better known as etch, is used to thoroughly clean the surface of the teeth. This ensures a firmer bond between the tooth enamel and the veneer.
  • Then the veneers are cleaned and primed before they are placed on the teeth.
  • Dental cement is used to attach the final veneers to the tooth surface. Next, the excess cement is removed, and after a quick polish, your new smile is complete.

Book Your Free Consultation

Temporary After Effects of the Veneers Process

Cosmetic dentistry can have some temporary side effects after the permanent veneers have been fitted. These include:

Sore gums

Some people experience a little discomfort in the gum area after their veneers have been fitted. This is normal, and the tenderness should settle in a few days.

Temperature sensitivity

Due to the bonding process and the small amount of enamel removed (if necessary), some people have problems with a small amount of tooth sensitivity. Cold temperatures and heat associated with different food types or drinks can cause minor discomfort.

The after-effects will settle in a few days. On rare occasions where the soreness is experienced for longer than two weeks, you should contact your dentist to be on the safe side.

From our dental practitioners: You should be aware that sensitivity is most often caused by dentists removing too much enamel. The key way to avoid painful veneers is to choose a reputable dentist who will fit Ultra Thin Veneers, not drilled crowns (like you’d find in Turkey).

How To Prevent Painful Teeth After Veneers

For teeth sensitive to veneers, you should follow the aftercare advice of your dentist.

However, here are some useful tips to ensure you minimise any sensitivity that may occur.

  • Follow good oral hygiene practices. Brush after each meal with a desensitising toothpaste.
  • For a few days, avoid foods that have extremely cold temperatures (ice cream or cold drinks).
  • Avoid placing excessive pressure on your veneers, for example, by eating hard foods (nuts, hard sweets).
  • Invest in a mouth guard to prevent grinding your teeth at night.
  • Don’t chew fingernails or other objects (pens, pencils).
  • Rinse your mouth with a solution of salt and water to reduce swelling (if any).
  • Take mild pain medication such as ibuprofen as directed on the label.

Does It Hurt to Get Veneers?

To ensure the most comfort during your treatment at Bespoke Smile, we use the strongest strength numbing cream allowed in the UK, as well as careful and calculated warming of the general anaesthetic is done to reduce the shock of it entering your body temperature, which in turn minimises the discomfort.

Book Your Free Consultation

When the veneers are applied, the natural tooth structure remains intact, and only a thin layer of enamel is buffed away to create a strong adhesion and allow for some creative allowance when adjusting the height and width of the teeth. In fact, we take this seriously and prefer a minimal or no prep approach. On the rare occasions that tooth preparation is required, only 0.5-1 mm is removed.

However, if simply sitting in the dentist’s chair causes you a lot of distress, patients can have IV sedation and oral sedatives provided by their GP. You can also pick out your favourite binge-worthy TV show or film on Netflix to watch on our ceiling-mounted TVs to keep your mind off things. This can be a good option for patients with tooth decay. Once the decay is removed and the area is thoroughly cleaned and root-filled, only where needed (your dentist will determine this after your comprehensive assessment following detailed x- rays), the veneer’s porcelain is then used to tightly seal the area, preventing further decay and leakage.

Bespoke Smile Veneers Process

For those ready to enhance the appearance of their smiles, our veneers process will ensure you make the right veneer decision for you. The range includes composite veneers, porcelain veneers, and lumineers.

The process of getting veneers involves a few necessary steps to ensure you are a good candidate, but the team will guide you through the entire process. These steps include:

Assessment and Preparation

We will hand-design a bespoke trial smile made of composite resin on the teeth you wish to improve and provide a gum lift and shaping using our pain-free laser technology. This technique is rarely offered by cosmetic dentists as it is extremely difficult to do and has been around for many years. Our dentists are internationally trained and highly experienced in this totally bespoke technique.

Our team at Bespoke Smile aims to understand all of your concerns – whether you are worried about any pain during the treatment or the end result, we are here for you. Following an introductory discussion, we will conduct an in-depth health assessment. We will look at each and every tooth, assess your gums, and analyse your bite.

We also check for any speech, bite, or chewing issues that can be remedied with cosmetic dentistry to ensure that your treatment is effective and long-lasting. We then complete a Cosmetic Smile Analysis, which might include scans and photographs to understand your complete oral situation.

Handmade Trial

Porcelain Veneer Process: 3-Step Treatment Plan

Bespoke Smile patients are provided with a three-step treatment plan as part of the veneer process. The reason for this is to ensure you are comfortable and happy throughout the entire process and that the final result is of the high quality you expect.

Trial Smile: During your trial smile visit, we will hand-design a bespoke trial smile made of composite resin for you to see the estimated end result. You may receive a gum lift and oral shaping during this visit using our pain-free laser technology.

Bespoke Shape and Colour Match: This visit is very important because it will give you the opportunity to tailor your smile to be exactly what you are looking for. We will assess the shapes, symmetry, angles, feel, bite, and texture of the trial smile and decide on the bespoke features that you would like to incorporate. The colour of your veneers will also be chosen on this visit.

The Fitting Visit: The trial smile is removed painlessly and smoothly, and the final veneers are permanently fitted to the teeth. This is followed by a comprehensive bite-balancing assessment to ensure the mouth is healthy and stable.

See Our Smile Gallery

Your dentist will provide information regarding how to care for your veneers after they have been fitted. They will also offer advice on what to do in the unlikely event that you struggle with any pain.

Are You Considering a Cosmetic Dentistry Procedure?

So, do veneers hurt? No, except for some mild discomfort shortly after the treatment. Veneers are an excellent choice for improving your smile. Our team at Bespoke Smile is on hand to help, and happy to answer all your questions.

Book a free consultation!

Table of Contents

Book your Free Consultation online today

“We create attractive, healthy confident smiles for patients that last for years.”

Dr Sam Jethwa

×