What Are Dental Veneers?
Veneers are custom-designed extremely thin shells resembling natural teeth that are carefully and artistically created by your dentist and fabricated in a dental lab. The veneers are then bonded over your own teeth and can serve several purposes, the most common including straightening, whitening and lengthening. The main goal of having veneers applied is to give you a beautiful smile! This procedure is the best technique we utilize today to provide our patients with the best smile possible! Dr. Giesler has been performing smile makeovers and placing veneers for over 20 years. She has an artistic eye and works with talented ceramists. Together, their results are beautiful yet natural.
Veneers Are Not the Same as Bonding
As Dr. Giesler discussed in Best Self magazine, “many people find the idea of veneers vs. bonding a more complex decision.” So how do you know if dental bonding or veneers is the best option? The short answer is that bonding is usually recommended for more minor tooth adjustments. However, if you have teeth that are significantly discolored or have sustained heavy wear and tear, then veneers may be a better option for you. Additionally, veneers are a recommended choice for other large issues like broken teeth, substantial gaps in your teeth, or even variations in the size and shape of your teeth. Because veneers are custom-made for each patient, they look a lot more like your natural teeth. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about them becoming discolored over time, as they are created to be stain-resistant to the effects of coffee or wine drinking.
The Process of Applying Dental Veneers
It takes two to three appointments with your dentist to fully complete the dental veneer process. First, we recommend a consultative appointment in which you sit down with your doctor to discuss the procedure. At this visit, we like to provide you with the opportunity to ask any questions you may have so that you fully understand the process. During the consultation, we will also create the best treatment plan customized to you and your schedule.
At the second visit, we begin the actual physical work of your veneers. At this point, your teeth are shaved down in preparation for application, and a temporary veneer is placed on top of your teeth. These will serve as a placeholder until your permanent veneers are constructed in a lab by our trusted ceramists and sent back to our office.
On your third and final visit, your temporaries are then replaced with your permanent, custom-made veneers.
“The true art in aesthetic dentistry is designing and creating a beautiful smile in which everyone thinks that your veneers are your natural teeth.” — Dina Giesler, D.D.S. M.A.G.D.
Demonstrations of the Application of Dental Veneers
See the videos on our Veneers services page here for demonstrations for how veneers can help with the following three major dental issues: chipped teeth, malformed teeth and stained teeth.
For more images on smile transformations performed in our office like the ones above, see our gallery here.