Your teeth play a crucial role in the quality of your smile. Any flaws in your teeth, no matter how small, can have a major impact on your smile, and your confidence. They can also affect the impressions you leave on others. At Pacific Modern Dentistry, we can help to restore the appearance of your smile with veneers.What are Veneers?
Minor flaws in your teeth can have a major impact on the appearance of your smile. Veneers are a cosmetic treatment designed to treat these flaws, restoring the appearance of your teeth and enhancing the quality of your smile. They are thin restorations, resembling shells in appearance. They are designed to be bonded to the front surfaces of your teeth, effectively covering over tiny flaws, completely transforming your smile.
What Can Veneers Fix?
Veneers can be used to treat some different minor cosmetic flaws. These include:
| • | Small chips or cracks in your tooth enamel. |
| • | Minor alignment issues. This includes small gaps between your teeth as well as minor overlapping. |
| • | Teeth that are smaller than the rest. |
| • | Teeth that are misshapen. |
| • | Discoloration. |
Materials for Veneers
Veneers are generally made from one of two different materials, composite resin, and porcelain. Both materials are tooth-colored, but porcelain appears more natural than composite resin. Not only can porcelain be colored to match the exact color of your natural teeth, but it also reflects light just like natural tooth enamel. While composite resin is more affordable, porcelain is stronger and has a longer lifespan. Composite resin typically lasts 7 to 10 years. Porcelain, on the other hand, can last 15 years or more. Porcelain veneers are also stain resistant. Where composite resin is porous and can collect stains that cannot be whitened away, porcelain resists stains better than natural tooth enamel.
How are Veneers Placed?
No matter which material you choose, it takes two appointments to receive your veneers. At your first appointment, we prepare the affected teeth. This process, done under local anesthetic, involves removing a small portion of your tooth enamel from the front surfaces of each tooth. This is done to ensure a proper, natural fit.
After the teeth are prepared, we take impressions of your mouth. These impressions are sent to our dental lab, where they are used to design and create your custom veneers. Once they are complete, which can take a couple of weeks, we check the veneers for fit, bite, and appearance. If no adjustments are needed, they are bonded to the front surfaces of your teeth.
The Benefits of Veneers
Veneers offer several benefits.
| • | They blend in with the rest of your natural teeth, providing you with a beautifully restored smile. |
| • | With your smile restored you regain your confidence. You will not be able to help but show off your beautiful smile. |
| • | Both composite resin and porcelain are biocompatible, meaning that they will not irritate your gums. |
Veneers in Seattle
Minor flaws can have a significant impact on the appearance of your smile. With veneers, we can help to restore the appearance of your smile and give you back your confidence. Contact Pacific Modern Dentistry today at (206)284-4505 to schedule your consultation.
