Your smile is important and it’s possibly your most significant attribute. However, when teeth become yellowed, cracked, chipped, or slightly misaligned, it can cause patients to feel uncomfortable or even self-conscious. Some cosmetic issues can take several procedures and a great deal of time to address. Others such as whitening or fixing small imperfections can be addressed quickly with only one visit to the dentist.
For example, patients who have chipped a tooth often want to have it fixed. Even if the chipped tooth isn’t causing sensitivity or pain, it can affect the look of their smile. For these patients, Dr. Terry Vines of Pure Gold Professionals in Dentistry offers porcelain veneer treatment.
Veneers are very thin strips of porcelain that are custom-made to match the shade of your teeth perfectly. The veneers are applied to the teeth to cover small imperfections. Veneers are preferred over other forms of treatment because they are minimally invasive and only require a very small amount of the tooth’s enamel to be removed prior to placement. The procedure includes two visits to the dentist. During the first visit, patients receive a thorough dental cleaning to remove surface stains and will have the tooth, or teeth, prepped for the veneers. Then, together with the doctor, the patient selects the right shade for the veneer. Two weeks later, the veneer will be ready and the patient will return to the dental office to have it bonded to your teeth. The doctor may need to slightly adjust the color and fit to ensure that the veneer fits right and that your smile looks beautiful.
Veneers are durable and easy to care for. Patients only need to brush, floss, and visit their dentist for regular checkups to ensure that the veneers last a very long time. However, just like natural teeth, veneers can be chipped or cracked if patients chew or bite on hard objects. Therefore, we recommend that patients avoid chewing on items such as pens, ice, or hard pretzels and don’t use their teeth to open packages or bottles.
If you have a chipped tooth or other cosmetic dental issues, call Pure Gold Professionals in Dentistry to schedule a consultation. Dr. Vines will talk with you about what you feel your cosmetic dental issues are and suggest the right treatment to get you the smile you want, and deserve!