One of the first things a person notices about another person is their smile. A bright, happy, and friendly smile can make any face instantly more beautiful and inviting. However, if your smile is tarnished by stains or discolorations, chips or cracks, uneven teeth, or unattractive gaps or spaces between them, you may find that you are hiding your smile from the world. This can not only be very isolating; it can take a serious toll on your self-esteem.

For patients who have mild to moderate cosmetic or aesthetic flaws on their teeth, we here at Carolina Smiles Family Dentistry recommend porcelain dental veneers to help restore both your smile and your confidence.

Dental veneers are a thin sheet of either porcelain or composite resin that is placed directly over your existing teeth, giving you a brand-new smile with very little effort. They can help address a wide variety of dental concerns, allowing a patient to improve their smile without orthodontic treatment. Typically having uneven teeth, or gaps or spaces between your teeth, meant that you needed dental braces.

Veneers can cover and conceal these gaps and spaces. If your teeth are chipped or cracked, or they are uneven in size or shape, veneers can also help. They are also especially beneficial to patients who have severe stains on their teeth that refuse to budge after professional bleaching.

Getting a porcelain dental veneer is quite simple and straightforward. We will begin by applying local anesthesia to the site where we will be placing the veneer. This helps prevent you from experiencing any discomfort throughout the procedure. Next, we will remove a small amount of your dental enamel, the outermost portion of your teeth. Then we will take an impression of your mouth, which we will send to our lab to allow them to manufacture your veneer. We will then place you in a temporary veneer in the interim. When your veneer returns from the lab, we will check the fit over your existing teeth. If we are satisfied with its appearance and fit, we will finally cement it to your teeth and cure it with a special ultraviolet light.

You will want to continue to take care of your dental veneer as you would take care of your regular teeth. Do not skip brushing or flossing your veneers. If you take good care of your veneer, you can expect it to last up to fifteen years. To avoid damaging it, do not use your teeth to open packaging, and avoid chewing on ink pen lids or other non-food objects. Please stop if you bite your teeth, as it can also damage your dental veneers. If you tend to grind your teeth, you will want to be fitted with a custom night guard to help prevent damage to your veneers. Athletes must use a sports mouth guard to help protect both their teeth and their veneers.

Dental veneers are a fantastic option for patients who want a beautiful smile without extensive orthodontic work or harsh chemical treatments. To learn more about dental veneers, or to set up an appointment with us to determine if you are a good candidate for them, please give us here at Carolina Smiles Family Dentistry a call today at (803) 794-2273!