VENEERS
"I don't like the way my teeth look"
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If the specifics are down to shape or colour of your teeth, veneers may be the option for you.
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If you are more concerned about the position of your teeth please see the "Clear Orthodontic Aligners" section.
I like to present veneer options as “false nails for your teeth”.
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Just like the analogy they are often comprised of a material that is glued to the front surface of your teeth.
Through doing this we can change the aesthetic qualities of teeth such as colour, shape and width.
Please always try to book your initial examination at least 12 weeks before any special occasions if considering these options.
Composite bonding
This is your fastest, cheapest and simplest option.
Composite resins, most commonly used as a type of white filling in dentistry can produce very aesthetic and natural looking results when applied to cover the front surfaces of your teeth.
It is also the most minimally invasive option. Any use of the drill in preparing teeth for these cases are usually limited to stain removal and cleaning the surface enamel prior to placement.
Once this can be deemed an appropriate option, after a further consultation to determine realistic expected outcomes, specific requests and picking the colour we usually only need one visit to actually place these veneers.
Sometimes in more complex situations we may take impressions and ask our lab to produce a wax version of the veneers on plaster models which can then be used as a guide to place to your veneers.
Typically this takes 2-3weeks to place with no need for temporary solutions in between and a recommended initial review 1 month after placement followed by regular 6 months reviews alongside regular examinations.
Being a cheaper option there are some drawbacks:
Composite veneers are more likely to fracture, fall off, and stain.
They are a commitment that will likely need to be replaced and patched several times in their lifespan
As a result I like to keep these as minimally invasive as possible so that they are less likely to cause pain if there are any problems.
This means that composite veneers with Dr Kesh are often reserved for upper front teeth where there is space to place them without affecting function significantly and therefore making them less likely to chip or fall off through use.
Most people’s front teeth bite over and interact with the tops and fronts of their lower teeth. This would mean tooth tissue will need to be removed in most cases to make space for lower veneers for them to work with your bite which is why if considering lower teeth for veneers, porcelain is often the better solution.
Composite often lets light shine through which can produce some very aesthetic results in mimicking how light travels through your natural teeth. However this means that if you have a tooth which is internally/ heavily stained or a significantly different colour to the adjacent teeth this will still be visible meaning this may not be the option for you.
Porcelain veneers
This is your typical “smile makeover” option or “false nails for your teeth”.
With porcelain veneers we can more dramatically change the appearance of your teeth by changing shape,width and colour.
This option is tailored to you by our labs and usually requires an element of drilling on the front surfaces of your teeth
The amount of tissue removal will depend on the amount of rotation, angulation and colour we are trying to disguise.
Placing these veneers is more of a process.
After an initial consultation to outline colour and realistic expected outcomes we require at least 2 more visits. At this first visit we will take impressions and ask the lab to create a wax version of the veneers both for your approval and to act as a guide for the first treatment visit.
At the second visit we will prepare your teeth for veneers. In other words this is where the drilling occurs, usually under local anaesthetic. We then take impressions of the prepared teeth and use the wax guide to create temporary veneers for you.
The third appointment is then where we place and bond your veneers to your teeth. Sometimes a drill is needed to remove the temporary veneers and sometimes local anaesthetic is required as the prepared teeth may be sensitive when uncovered.
Our labs typically ask us for 2 weeks between visits. Therefore allow 6-8 weeks for this option followed by a recommended recall as with composite veneers: 1 month initial review followed by 6 month reviews alongside regular examinations.
Whilst staining, debonding and fractures are still likely, porcelain is often stronger than composite and is therefore theoretically less likely to encounter issues.
The major downside to consider is that as this option requires an element of drilling which means when they don’t work there is often associated symptoms. Drilling is also an irreversible process which means that if your veneer continues to fail on a prepared tooth it is likely that crowns will become the most appropriate option.
It is also important to note that with all elements of drilling/ removing tissue there is always a risk of causing devitalisation (tooth death) and subsequent abscesses occurring. This is why we always strive to remove as little as we can and be “minimally invasive”.
A mention of multiple aesthetic crown cases.
Some people decide to go for a full set of crowns.
There are some situations where these are appropriate however the majority of the time I will suggest veneers first.
Please see the information on crowns for more information on what they are.
When dealing with aesthetics and healthy teeth the risks often outweigh the benefits.
The risk of devitalisation (death) of your teeth and subsequent fractures and abscesses is very real. When having crowns for aesthetics often more tissue removal than normal is required to meet your needs to compensate for rotations or angulations in the natural teeth. This is why often a combination of orthodontics and composite bonding is the safest way to achieve most requests.
In these cases often several crowns are placed at the same time or within the same treatment plan.
If they are placed together they will likely fail together and lead to extractions being indicated together.
This could mean that although they may look good to start with you may be committing yourself to dentures later in life.
Please see the replacing gaps area for more information on common options in these scenarios.
Some also choose to travel abroad for this type of treatment as it can often be offered for what can appear to be at a cheaper price.
Although you are free to do this I would like you to consider the following:
This may work out to be much more expensive as you will need to return to that country for maintenance of these prostheses and for any minor issues that may arise. Otherwise you may find that your local dentist is replacing the work or even removing the tooth due to complications meaning you will have paid at least twice plus travel expenses.