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Having a beautiful and healthy-looking smile does more than enhance your appearance. It impacts your oral health and allows you to make a lasting impression on others. Mount Lawley Dental offers a number of cosmetic dental treatments, including dental veneers, to give you a whiter and straighter smile. Modern dentistry’s improved veneer materials offer many advantages to consider when you want to enhance your smile.

Find out if veneers are right for you, book a consultation with cosmetic dentist, Dr Lewis Moore today.

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What Are Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers are a thin covering made of porcelain or composite resin that fit on the front of teeth to mask their appearance. These custom-designed and tooth-coloured dental restorations change the colour, size, or shape of teeth to correct certain dental flaws, such as:

• Stained or discoloured teeth
• Chipped or broken teeth
• Crowded teeth
• Crooked teeth
• Poorly aligned teeth that do not bite together correctly
• Gapped teeth
• Worn down teeth

Dental Veneers Pros

There are plenty of options when it comes to enhancing the aesthetic appearance of your smile. You might be able to enhance your smile with teeth whitening, teeth straightening or a more complex treatment such as a dental implant to replace a damaged or missing tooth. You may even combine a number of treatments in a smile makeover.

Each cosmetic dental treatment comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages depending on your oral health needs and budget. There are many advantages to porcelain and composite resin veneers that make them a popular choice for many people seeking a healthier-looking and brighter smile.

If you want straighter and whiter teeth without chips or gaps between them, veneers offer advantages.

Pros and cons of veneers (in general)

• Veneers whiten permanent discolouration. Some severely discoloured teeth are resistant to professional teeth whitening. These deeply and permanently stained teeth can be resurfaced and covered with veneers for a natural and whiter appearance that hides discolouration.
• Veneers resist staining. Teeth that respond well to teeth whitening eventually need the treatment repeated because natural teeth become easily stained from food and beverages over time. Porcelain veneers do not stain and will stay whiter for longer than professionally whitened teeth. Veneers made of compsite resin are still prone to staining over time and so certain food and drinks should be avoided to help them last longer.
• Veneers require minimal tooth preparation (if any at all). In order for a veneer to be placed, they may only require a very thin amount of enamel to be removed, but in some cases no enamel needs removing.
• Veneers last longer than other cosmetic dental treatments. Veneers offer a more long-term solution than tooth bonding and teeth whitening treatments. Porcelain veneers are very durable with lifespans up to twenty years when properly maintained.[1]
• Veneers offer great aesthetics. When you choose veneers, you decide on the shade of white and tooth shape to design the individual look you want. Veneers are custom-made from advanced aesthetic dental ceramic materials, including composite resin and porcelain. Porcelain veneers in particular, have a superior translucent quality that mimics tooth enamel, offering a very natural appearance.
• Veneers require no special maintenance. You can maintain veneers just like your natural teeth with a good oral hygiene routine including brushing, flossing and attending six-monthly dental check-ups.

Pros and cons of composite veneers

• Costs less than porcelain veneeers 
• Generally costs less to repair than porcelain veneers
• Composite veneers can be applied in a single visit 
• generally do not require tooth preparation
• Can be prone to staining
• Can be prone to damage
• Have a shorter lifespan than porcelain
• Appear more opaque in nature and won't look as natural as porcelain does

Pros and cons of porcelain veneers

• Porcelain is highly durable
• Porcelain does not stain
• Porcelain is highly customisable
• Porcelain is aesthetically superior to composite as it has a translucent quality similar to natural tooth enamel
• Can last much longer than composite when maintained properly (an average 12 - 15 years vs 5-6 years)
• Costs more than composite veneers
• Oten costs more to repair than composite
• Require two to three visits to complete
• May require tooth preparation

Dental Veneers Cons

When you choose a cosmetic dental treatment to improve your smile, you should consider each procedure's pros and cons. The disadvantages of veneers may include:

• Veneers cost more than tooth bonding. Both treatment and maintenance costs more than composite tooth bonding. We recommend discussing the costs and benefits of bonding vs veneers with us.
• Veneers require more treatment time. Tooth bonding is a direct procedure that requires a single appointment. Dental veneers are either designed in a dental lab (if made of porcelain), or bonded directly to teeth over a single (if made of composite resin). Both material options involves a longer treatment process than bonding.
• Veneers require protection if you grind your teeth. People who suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding or jaw clenching) may easily chip veneers and usually need to wear a night guard while sleeping to avoid any damage.
• Teeth with veneers can still become decayed. Like any dental restoration, part of the natural tooth is still at risk of developing decay without proper daily brushing and flossing. 
• Veneers may be irreversible. In order for veneers to be bonded to teeth, a thin layer of enamel (0.2mm - 0.5mm) may need to be removed. In some cases, if you are already missing tooth structure, it may be possible to apply veneers without any tooth preparation however, enamel still needs to be roughened for a veneer to adhere effectively.  
• Porcelain veneers remain white while surrounding teeth pick up stains. It is essential to keep surrounding teeth clean and avoid consuming food and drinks that stain, so that veneers can continue to match their colour and appearance. 

Are Veneers for You?

If you’re thinking about enhancing your smile, speak to one of our experienced and friendly cosmetic dentists, they will assess your mouth, your medical history and take diagnostic scans to determine whether veneers are for you. Some existing oral health issues that can make patients unsuitable, include:

• Gum disease
• Tooth decay
• Sensitive or weak teeth
• Very thin tooth enamel

Book a cosmetic consultation with our cosmetic dentist, Dr Lewis Moore today. If it's been a while since your last dental visit, you may need a comprehensive examination to rule out any cavities or gum disease before treatment can go ahead. Similarly, a professional dental clean will be recommended if you have stubborn or built-up plaque that needs removing first.

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Veneers and Other Treatments

Veneers are often combined with a number of general and cosmetic dental treatments to improve oral health and the overall appearance of a smile. Visit our smile gallery to see for yourself!

For a bespoke treatment plan to enhance your smile with veneers, speak to one of our dentists today. Call (08) 9227 8777 or bok online.

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References

1. https://www.journaljammr.com/index.php/JAMMR/article/view/30784/57635