While people in England may believe that every single solitary American has straight, bright white teeth, the truth is far different. Few people have perfect naturally. Whatever the reason, be it bad genes or staining from taking tetracycline as a kid, most people have at least some issue with their teeth. It could be gaps between a couple of teeth. Or maybe a tooth is undersized. Maybe they are stained beyond what whitening can address.
But you don’t have to live with these cosmetic imperfections on your smile; you can have the team at Gentle Dental give you the ultimate cover-up — porcelain veneers.
As their name implies, porcelain veneers are thin porcelain overlays that are bonded onto the fronts of your teeth effectively covering up any flaws and presenting a perfect smile to the world. While you may just have had the porcelain dishes out for the holidays to entertain your aunt from Paramus, we think porcelain is put to better use making your smile look marvelous, dahling.
The veneer process
First, we examine your teeth to be sure they are healthy enough to have veneers placed. You see, veneers are only cosmetic fixes; they don’t address issues such as decay or severe cracks in teeth. These must be remedied before veneers can be placed on the teeth.
Once your teeth get the passing grade, the first step is for one of our dentists to shave off the ½ millimeter of tooth enamel from the front of each tooth that will receive a veneer. Why? This has a twofold purpose. It makes room for the veneer, and it makes a great bonding surface on the tooth for the veneer to adhere to.
Next, we take impressions of your teeth, along with digital photos. We send these off to the dental lab for fabrication of your veneers. This process usually takes one to two weeks. While we are awaiting your veneers, we place temporary veneers onto your teeth to protect them.
When your shiny new veneers are delivered to our offices, you return for a second appointment. First, we check the fit and color match. Once everyone is satisfied, we clean and polish your teeth. Then the veneers are permanently cemented onto your teeth, and any stray cement or protruding edges are shaved off. Now you’re ready to show your new, perfect smile to the world.
Leave the porcelain dishes in the china cabinet. Tell your aunt from Paramus you’re getting porcelain veneers at Gentle Dental instead! Call us at (732) 549-5660 for an appointment.