Do you find yourself avoiding smiling in social situations or in public due to the appearance of your teeth? If the answer is yes, you are not alone, as there are several people that are unhappy with the appearance of their smile.
Luckily, there have been many advances in cosmetic dentistry that allow dental professionals to enhance and improve your smile. One of the more popular options in cosmetic dentistry include the use of porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are customized to match your natural teeth and blend in seamlessly, creating extremely natural looking results. The porcelain veneers are bonded directly onto your natural tooth to conceal imperfections.
Am I an ideal candidate?
Porcelain veneers are an appropriate choice for several dental problems. You may be an ideal candidate for porcelain veneers if:
You have severely stained teeth. While most whitening methods are highly effective in treating mild to moderate teeth discoloration, extremely dark stains will not respond to teeth whitening treatments. Porcelain veneers will cover up any dark stains, including internal discoloration.
You have many cosmetic problems you’d like to improve. Porcelain veneers are a very versatile dental treatment. For example, if you have mildly misshapen teeth, a cracked tooth and some stained teeth, you can correct all of these dental issues with porcelain veneers.
You have minor cosmetic imperfections in the structure of your teeth. Porcelain veneers are great choice to conceal minor imperfections in your teeth, such as chips, cracks, discoloration and teeth that are slightly misshapen. While dental bonding can treat this dental problems as well, porcelain veneers provide much more natural looking results.
You have good oral health. Before undergoing any cosmetic dentistry procedures, it is very important that you have good oral health. If you have any dental problems, such as gum disease or tooth decay, you should have them treated beforehand to increase your chances of being an ideal candidate for porcelain veneers.
You have enough tooth enamel. Porcelain veneers are bonded to your tooth enamel. Although your dentist will have to remove a thin layer of your tooth, the underlying enamel remains. If you don’t have enough enamel, the porcelain veneer won’t have a strong bonding surface to adhere to your tooth.
You have fairly straight teeth. Porcelain veneers can help correct mildly crooked teeth, however, if your teeth are severely misaligned or you have a bad bite, you won’t be a good candidate for veneers. Severally misaligned teeth can put pressure on your teeth and cause a porcelain veneer to crack.
You don’t clench or grind your teeth. Grinding your teeth, commonly referred to as bruxism, is known to damage porcelain veneers. The same applies is you consistently bite your nails, chew ice, or use your teeth as tools.
You practice proper oral hygiene daily. Porcelain veneers are placed on the surface of your teeth, making it extremely important to keep your gums and teeth healthy by practicing proper oral hygiene. Proper oral hygiene involve you brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes each session and flossing at least once. It’s also very important to visit your dentist for checkups on a regular basis.
If you’re interested porcelain veneers and would like to see if you would be an ideal candidate, contact Dr. Larry Lieberman, DDS at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information regarding porcelain veneers.
Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Safety Harbor, Palm Harbor, Clearwater, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs and surrounding areas.
