Few of us are luckily enough to have a natural film star smile with perfectly straight, gleemingly white teeth. Even if we start out with good teeth, the years can take their toll with staining, chipping and other damage. If you want a better smile, there's the option of using teeth whitening products or dental treatment to fit crowns.
Fortunately there's an easier, cheaper, and pain-free way of getting that Hollywood smile, and that's by using dental veneers.
What Are Dental Veneers?
In a nutshell, veneers are to your teeth what false nails are to your fingers, only more durable and longer lasting. They are thin slivers of porcelain, ceramic, or a composite substance, carefully cut and shaped to match your existing teeth, and then permanently bonded on to the tooth enamel.
Veneers can either match your existing tooth color so that they're undetectable if used to repair damage on a single tooth, or if you're treating your whole mouth then they can be a lighter shade to give the effect of teeth whitening.
What Are They Used For?
As well as being an effective way of whitening teeth without the use of bleaching agents, veneers can be used to cover up chipping, abrasions, and other minor damage that comes about through daily wear and tear. They can also cover up minor gaps and crookedness where the spaces between the teeth aren't so severe and conventional orthodontic treatment would be expensive, lengthy, and probably over the top.
How Are They Fitted?
The fitting of dental veneers typically takes two visits to the dental office. In the first, a detailed mold of your teeth is taken, which is sent off to the veneer manufacturer to be used as the basis for making the veneers. Around a two weeks later, the finished veneers are fitted during a second visit to the dentist.
Whether you're looking to cover up minor dental damage, or you want a safe and effective method of teeth whitening, dental veneers are an inexpensive and quick way to get the smile you've been dreaming of.