Too often, veneers can look fake, standing out against your natural teeth with large veneers that look too big for your smile. No one wants that, especially when the goal is to create a natural looking smile that you are proud of! Use our tips today to ensure you have natural looking veneers and a smile that you love.
Veneers are custom-made shells, usually made from thin porcelain, that cover the front of your teeth. These will change the shape and colour of your smile, brightening it and addressing any issues like cracked teeth or gaps between your teeth.
Veneers are often used to address the following dental issues:
Small teeth
Crooked teeth
Underbites and overbites
Chipped teeth
Buck teeth
There are three types of veneers that we typically fit: porcelain, composite, and no-prep veneers. We have outlined each type below to help you learn more about them.
Porcelain veneers - require your teeth to be filed extensively before the thin porcelain veneers are bonded to them. Porcelain veneers can last for around ten years and perform as normal teeth. Get more information on porcelain veneers.
Composite veneers - use a thin resin, which is nm directly to your teeth and sculpted into place. Once cured and polished, the resin will resemble natural teeth and is ideal for filling small gaps and smoothing crooked teeth. Get more information on composite veneers here.
No-prep veneers - are the quickest veneer treatment, where ultra-thin veneers are attached directly to your teeth without any filing. They usually last for five to seven years and are a great option for small teeth. Learn more about our no prep veneers treatment options.
How veneers are applied varies depending on the type of veneer you choose. We have outlined each veneer type below so you can see which is the right option for you.
First, we assess your smile to ensure porcelain veneers are the right option. We can use our digital scanners and 3D printers to show you how your new smile will look and allow you to suggest any changes.
Next, we fit you with temporary veneers, sitting over the top of your natural teeth.
When your veneers are ready, we invite you back to remove the temporary veneers and fit your permanent ones. We start by filing your teeth and removing the enamel to make room for your veneers.
Your veneers are bonded using a dental adhesive, which is cementing them in place.
We start with a consultation to ensure you are a suitable candidate for composite veneers, taking x-rays and scans of your mouth to help us create the perfect veneers for your face.
Your teeth are etched with a small drill to help the resin bond to your teeth. This can be a little uncomfortable, and local anesthetics can be offered.
The resin is applied directly to your teeth. We work with thin layers, sculpting them to create your new smile.
A UV curing light is used to harden the resin and we finish by polishing it to help it match your natural teeth.
We start with a consultation where we check if you are a good candidate for no-prep veneers. We will take impressions of your teeth to create your veneers.
Once ready, your veneers are applied directly to your teeth. In some cases, we might lightly score or etch the surface of your teeth to ensure a secure fit.
Natyural looking veneers should suit your smile and match your existing teeth, making it tricky for anyone to tell you are wearing veneers. We have outlined the key features that will help you achieve natural-looking veneers.
Veneers should be custom-designed to suit your mouth and smile. This will ensure that they fit comfortably in your mouth but compliment your face too. You don't want a smile that looks too big or small for your mouth!
We only offer custom design veneers, ensuring that they perfectly suit your face and will be comfortable while eating and speaking. We use cutting-edge technology to achieve this, including 3D scanners that help us model your veneers before we create them to ensure they are right for you.
Porcelain veneers are fitted over your existing teeth, but we need to remove some enamel first to do this. We need to ensure that we remove enough enamel for your veneers to fit comfortably while still leaving you with enough enamel. By removing the perfect amount of enamel, we can ensure that the shape of your smile is right for your face.
When applying composite veneers, your dentist needs to pay close attention to ensure they are shaped well. As they apply the resin directly to your teeth, ensure they are sculpting it into your desired shape that will suit your smile.
The key to natural-looking veneers is the perfect shade. While you may want to use veneers to brighten your smile, you need to be considerate of your other teeth. A few bright white teeth sitting next to discoloured teeth is an obvious giveaway of veneers and will make your smile look unnatural.
We work with you to help brighten your smile, taking into account your complexion and the colour of existing teeth, and balance the whiteness with the whites of your eyes. We know it's tempting to opt for the brightest white, but by working with a more natural colour, you can achieve a natural smile.
The material you choose for your veneers will also determine how natural they look. Porcelain veneers provide the most natural look, as the material has a similar texture to tooth enamel. It has a translucent quality, too, that allows light to pass through and reflect from the veneers, just like we see with natural teeth.
While composite veneers can be a more affordable option, they have a more opaque finish and can look flat. If you are striving for a natural-looking smile, we recommend opting for porcelain veneers.
You also must ensure that your veneers are placed correctly to achieve a natural-looking smile. Your veneers should cover the visible areas of your teeth, enduring before the gum line. If your veneers are too close to the gum line, your gums can become inflamed. A skilled dentist can help provide a seamless finish where you can't tell where your natural tooth ends and the veneer begins.
Veneers should also be well-spaced. While veneers are used to close gaps between teeth, there should still be small spaces. Not only does this create a natural look, but allows you to floss between the veneers, keeping your smile healthy. When veneers are placed too close together, they can look fake, so make sure you speak to your dentist about the spacing of them.
Bad veneers can be easy to spot, especially once you know what you are looking for. You might experience pain or discomfort when the veneers are fitted, which is a sign they are misaligned or too thick. If your veneers are placed too close to the gumn line, they can irritate you and cause inflammation, leaving you with pain or discomfort. Some other signs of bad veneers include:
An unnatural appearance, where the veneers are too large or small for your mouth
Stained veneers where you notice discolouration or yellowing
Gaps or margins between your veneers and teeth can cause food to get trapped, causing decay and bacteria to grow
Leaks on your gum line which suggest that your veneers are not correctly sealed
Chipped or cracked veneers, which can be caused by poorly fitted veneers or grinding teeth
Poor fit or misalignment where you might see crooked teeth or veneers that don't fit the contour of your natural teeth
Gun swelling or recession where your gums can pull away from your teeth, causing gum disease
If you are concerned about your current veneers, book an appointment with us to see what we can do for your dental veneers. In most cases, if your dental veneers are damaged, we will need to remove and replace them.
Before your dental veneer procedure, make sure that you book a consultation with us to ensure that your veneers will match your natural teeth and give you a smile you are proud of! We will work with you to help achieve your new smile, preserving as much natural tooth enamel as possible and creating veneers that not only fix misshapen teeth, but honour your natural tooth structure. Book an appointment today to see what your new smile could look like!
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