Smile Transforming Porcelain Veneers in Harrisonburg
Your smile says a lot about you. In fact, numerous studies have indicated people who have attractive smiles are often consider smarter, healthier, and more attractive. A 2011 employment study even indicated the appearance of your smile may influence whether or not you get a job. Unfortunately, many of the patients we see at Harrisonburg Family & Cosmetic Dentistry think a flawless smile is out of their reach. Our team is here to help you a create beautiful, healthy smile you’ll be proud to share. Not all cosmetic dentistry plans involve years undergoing complex treatments. Porcelain veneers are one of the most popular treatments we offer because they allow us to completely transform your smile in just two short appointments. If you want to learn more about porcelain veneers or your other cosmetic dentistry options available from our Harrisonburg dental team, call to schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation today.
What are Porcelain Veneers?
Veneers are thin sheaths of dental grade porcelain. They are designed to fit over the front facing surfaces of teeth to correct and conceal any number of cosmetic flaws. From covering tooth staining to closing gaps in teeth, porcelain veneers can completely transform your smile.
Should I Consider Porcelain Veneers?
No cosmetic dentistry solution is right for every patient, but we may recommend porcelain veneers in a variety of situations. If you want to correct or conceal numerous smile flaws, but don’t can’t afford to invest the time in more advanced treatments, porcelain veneers may be the ideal solution. If you have deep set tooth stains that aren’t responsive to teeth whitening, numerous chips and cracks, or extensive dental wear, a porcelain veneer treatment plan can easily create a flawless smile. Additionally, porcelain veneers have been referred to as instant orthodontics because they can be used to create a perfectly aligned, evenly spaced smile without the hassle of advanced orthodontic treatments.
How are Veneers Placed?
Porcelain veneers are placed over the course of two office visits. During the initial appointment, we will numb the area to be treated. Then, a small amount of surface enamel is removed. This allows the veneer to lay flat within the smile line. Next, an impression is taken of your prepared teeth. We’ll design your final veneer, and our design and the impression are sent to a lab where your veneer will be crafted. To protect your teeth and allow you to get used to the look and feel of your new smile, we’ll place a temporary veneer. When we receive your final restoration from our lab, you can return to exchange your temporary for the flawless, custom porcelain veneer.
How Long do Veneers Last?
With proper care your porcelain veneers will remain flawless for ten or more years. Unlike other restoration materials, our high quality, dental grade porcelain is stain resistant. That means you can even enjoy coffee, red wine, and other darkly colored foods and drinks that may stain teeth without affecting your results. You may want to switch to a softer toothbrush or less abrasive toothpaste, but otherwise, you will not need to worry about making changes to your regular hygiene routine.
Understanding the Cost of Veneers
If you’re interested in veneers, you’ve probably heard, or maybe dreaded, that the cost of the procedure is generally a bit higher than what it would be for other procedures. Veneers are an incredibly high-quality procedure, and you get what you pay for.
However, this isn’t to say that veneers have to bankrupt you. If you’re interested in improving the way that your smile looks and feels, here are a few tips to help you budget for the procedure.
Cost VS Cosmetic Dentistry: What’s Right for Me?
First of all, it’s worth noting that veneers aren’t the only cosmetic procedure out there. If the cost is a deterrent, there are other methods worth pursuing if you’re interested in bettering your smile in select ways.
Direct bonding, for example, can be an excellent way of covering up chips or cracks in your smile. If you’re unhappy with the color of your teeth, you may instead be interested in tooth whitening. Both of these procedures are on the less expensive side, and both are incredibly effective at handling these issues. You could also pursue orthodontics if you’re unhappy with the alignment of your smile. This is sometimes less expensive than veneers and can produce incredible results.
However, it’s important to point out that veneers can do some version of all of these things. They can change the color, alignment, and shape of your smile a within as little as two appointments.
How to Make Veneers Affordable
If you are interested in veneers, there are fortunately methods of making the procedures more budget-friendly. One that we often recommend to patients is financing, which can be used to split the cost of your treatments into monthly payments.
If you’re interested, CareCredit and Health Credit Services both offer low-to-no interest financing terms that can help you to get the care that you need. Give us a call, and we’ll talk to you about what you can do to make veneers fit your budget.
Veneer FAQs
What Happens to the Teeth Under Veneers?
In order to place your veneers, we will need to remove a small amount of your enamel. However, the amount that we remove won’t be enough to cause any health problems for your teeth, which means that you don’t need to worry about the long-term health of your smile. However, it’s still important to take care of your oral health, so to prevent cavities you still need to commit to excellent dental hygiene.
Will I Still Be Able to Drink Coffee with Veneers?
One of the nice things about veneers is that they’re non-porous, which makes them resistant to stains from what you eat and drink. This means that you can worry a little bit less than you would normally about coffee discoloring your smile. However, it’s important to note that veneers are stain resistant, not stain proof. You should still brush your teeth after drinking coffee and cut back a bit if you want to keep your smile bright.
Can Veneers Be Used for Bite Corrections?
Unlike actual orthodontics, veneers don’t actually change the position of the teeth. As a consequence, they’re limited in their ability to deal with bite misalignment. If you have a mild open bite or gaps in your smile, veneers can change the shape of your teeth to address the cosmetic aspect of these issues. However, dealing with serious bite issues will require actual orthodontic intervention, which should be done before getting your veneers.
How Many Veneers Will I Need?
While some people are able to get away with one or two veneers, most people interested in the treatment want to completely change the look of their smile. For that reason, most people will need enough veneers to cover all of their visible teeth. The exact number of veneers that takes varies from person to person. Some only need 6 to 8, while others need 10 to 12. We’ll be able to tell you more when we meet you in person.