Dental porcelain laminates, porcelain veneers, or dental veneers refer to custom-made shells used to cover cosmetic teeth imperfections. Southland Dental Care can use them to cover injured teeth, hide permanent stains, and close narrow gaps.
Although it’s normal to worry about veneers cost, this treatment offers a permanent solution to crooked and discolored teeth. Our experts can recommend dental veneers to assist in changing the nature and appearance of your smile.
The porcelain veneers will leave you with a naturally-looking and more natural smile. Dental veneers can make your teeth appear cookie-cutter perfect, regardless of whether they’re broken, chipped, or you simply don’t like their color.
Types of Dental Veneers
Dental veneers exist in two main forms: composite and porcelain. Read on for more!
Composite Veneers
Composite veneers refer to the dental veneers made using tooth-colored composite resin. They are cheaper than porcelain veneers, prone to staining, and a little weaker. As the name suggests, the dentist will use composite (dental filling) to make it.
When complete, they will bind them to the existing teeth to begin the reshaping process. Overall, the process doesn’t require many appointments, but the few you will attend will last much longer. Your final smile will depend on the expertise of your dentist.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are the second type of dental veneer. These veneers comprise thin layers of porcelain, measured to fit and bonded to your teeth. They are preferred because they are stronger, last longer, and look better than composite veneers. However, all these attributes help make them more expensive.
Cost Associated with Dental Veneers
Porcelain veneers help our patients to look years younger, make changes to their lives, and gain self-confidence. The veneers cost hundreds of dollars and are considered a pricy solution by patients looking to undergo dental reconstruction.
However, we always aim to provide our patients with competitively priced options. The veneers on offer at most dental clinics start at $950 per tooth and can cost as much as $2,200. Pricing varies depending on where you go for the treatment.
We are proud to have competitively priced dental veneers at our clinic, starting at $120 a tooth.
What Are the Benefits of Veneers?
Dental veneers can assist in restoring a smile from discoloration, cracks, and slight chips. Anyone who has ever felt self-conscious about their smile should consider setting an appointment today to consult on porcelain veneers.
We have trained dentists who will help you explore the cosmetic dentistry options open to you, including veneers. We recommend dental veneers to our clients for the following reasons:
1. They Can Cover Discoloration, Cracks, and Chips
We use porcelain veneers to fix minor cosmetic issues, especially those that prevent you from talking or smiling in public. Southland Dental Care will start by examining whether you are a good candidate or not.
2. Dental Veneers Have a Natural Appearance
It takes more than a single appointment to get the porcelain veneers in place. The results attained after the procedure are sure worth it, mainly due to their natural appearance. We customize all veneers to match your overall style and facial symmetry.
3. Porcelain Veneers Require Minimal Enamel Removal
It’s impossible to return enamel once we chip it from your teeth. Luckily, dental veneers only necessitate the removal of a tiny amount to allow for bonding. Failure to remove it will cause the teeth to appear large and awkward.
4. It’s a Non-Invasive Procedure
People afraid of getting this procedure done mainly fear going under, as they believe it to be invasive. But in reality, this procedure is non-invasive and may not require anesthesia to get the dental veneers in place.
5. They Assist in Preventing Tooth Discoloration
Carefully choosing the foods, you put in your mouth and practicing proper oral hygiene will help the dental veneers last for many years. All the foods and drinks you consume will first come into contact with the veneers. And this will ensure your natural teeth continues to remain healthy.
What Are the Disadvantages of Dental Veneers?
Every dental reconstruction or restoration comes with a set of ups and downs. The same applies to porcelain veneers. For example:
- You can’t reverse their installation. Our dentist will need to remove a small layer of enamel to fit them over your natural teeth.
- The removal of this enamel causes the teeth to become sensitive to hot and cold beverages.
- Dentists can use porcelain veneers to restore badly failing teeth. They may need to consider other more viable options.
- Composite veneers can easily get stained and become cracked or chipped.
Who Is a Candidate?
Dental practitioners recommend dental veneers as the best solution for teeth restoration. They offer the best optics for restoration because they are non-invasive. On the other hand, not everyone can have them fixed on their teeth.
Factors that make patients ideal candidates for porcelain veneers include:
- They have severely stained teeth
- You suffer from minor cosmetic issues
- The patients have good overall oral health
- There’s plenty of tooth enamel for the doctor to work with when bonding the teeth
Now that you know what makes you an ideal candidate, you should also know what can disqualify you from getting this procedure. Anyone who suffers from the following can’t have veneers installed:
- They habitually grind or clench their teeth
- Failure to practice good oral hygiene
- Underbite or crossbite
- Presence of severe structural tooth damage
- You suffer from gum disease (either active or recurrent)
Persons who suffer from the aforementioned conditions should consider consulting with us to determine whether veneers are ideal for them. Remember that you have many options to choose from, and veneers aren’t the only viable treatment.
Preparation
You need to set a preliminary appointment with us before you can have the veneers installed. We will use this appointment to go through the available options and decide on the number of veneers you need.
Our practitioners may recommend having braces installed before setting another appointment for the veneers. Braces help in restoring smiles among people who suffer from uneven or crooked smiles.
The dentist will start by taking X-rays to help them ascertain the state of your teeth. X-rays assist in determining whether you have gum disease, signs of tooth decay, or need a root canal. Their presence may eliminate you from the running, necessitating you to re-evaluate the other options available.
In the second appointment, the dentist will need to trim the enamel by around half a millimeter. The removal of this piece will allow them to take an impression of your teeth, which they will use to create the final set of veneers.
Procedure
You will need to make multiple trips to our offices to have both sets of veneers fixed. We will take you through the process we will follow, which should capture the following steps:
- We will begin by using a liquid composite to create temporary veneers. It’s similar to creating a blueprint for the teeth you will end up with after the process.
- We only use stain-resistant veneers and will need to consider your skin tone to find the perfect shade for you. Our team will allow you enough time to consider the shade before committing to it.
- Once committed, we will determine the number of dental veneers needed and take photographs, X-rays, and molds.
- The next step will require you to visit our offices to receive your veneers. Often, we recommend that our patients wear temporary veneers for between seven to ten days. We call it a ‘trial smile’ that shows you the nature of your new smile.
- Take your time to assess your needs before settling on what we want. The dentist working with you will make the final set of molds and send them to a ceramist. That’s where duplication will occur.
- Once we have confirmed that the porcelain veneers are ready, we will have them fitted into your mouth as soon as possible. Our dentist will use this step to check whether the veneers match your teeth perfectly.
Aftercare
It would be best to care for your dental veneers to keep them looking sharp and stain-free. Lack of adequate care will force you to revisit us for a replacement. Proper care enables them to last for more than a few years.
Care for the veneers by doing the following:
- Brushing your teeth at least two times each day
- Learning to floss correctly and ensuring you floss each day
- Scheduling bi-yearly appointments with your dentist for checkups and cleaning
All this will assist you in caring for the veneers and ensure they don’t become discolored.
Where to Get Veneers in Los Angeles
Now that you know everything you need to learn before getting dental veneers, you should contact Southland Dental Care. It doesn’t matter whether you are looking to correct an imperfection or correct your smile; we will guide you through it all.
We have the best cosmetic doctors in the field, and our goal is to assist you in regaining your confidence. Begin your journey to improved self-esteem today by clicking here or calling us on 1-818-788-8787.
