If you have discoloration of your teeth, whether from age, smoking cigarettes, or drinking dark liquids, you might be thinking about getting teeth whitening. However, whitening has a variety of drawbacks, including not being as effective as you might hope. Your other option is to get dental veneers, which are made with pieces of porcelain that fit over the top surface of your teeth. Here are some reasons to choose veneers for staining and discoloration as opposed to teeth whitening.
Veneers Last a Long Time
An excellent benefit to dental veneers is the fact that they last a long time. After getting them bonded to your teeth, you will enjoy your white teeth for many years. The better you take care of your teeth, the longer the veneers will remain in their current condition. With teeth whitening, you would have to keep returning to your dentist to get the whitening done, every few months in some cases. With more severe staining, you would need multiple whitening procedures just to achieve the brightness you are looking for. With veneers, you get them once, then have perfectly white teeth.
The Porcelain is Resistant to Staining
Another difference between teeth whitening and veneers is that when you get veneers, they don't easily become discolored over time. While they might not be completely stain-free, the porcelain does tend to be more resistant to staining. Drinking coffee regularly or having your evening glass of red wine won't cause the veneers to stain, requiring you to have them whitened or replaced. If you were to get teeth whitening from your dentist, there is still a risk of the staining and discoloration returning. You have to be extra careful about how you take care of your teeth and what you eat and drink.
You Can Correct Other Imperfections
In addition to covering your staining, veneers can cover other tooth imperfections as well. You can correct mild spacing issues between your teeth, correct teeth that are an unusual size or shape, or cover small chips in your teeth. Your natural teeth will first need to be filed down slightly to make room for the veneers. You will then have impressions done, followed by waiting for the veneers to be fabricated in a lab. When that is complete, the dentist bonds the veneers to your teeth, then polishes them. The veneers look natural, making it hard for anyone else to notice you have them.
For more information on veneers, contact a dental office like Leidenheimer Dental Group Inc.
Share6 May 2016
My son was outside playing with some friends when he accidentally fell down and hit his mouth on the sidewalk. The fall knocked out his front tooth, so I immediately placed the tooth in a small jar and added some milk. I rushed my son to the dental clinic and the dentist immediately took us into the examination room. The dentist placed the tooth back into the socket and saved it. My name is Beverly Tillman and thanks to the quick work of the dentist, my son didn't lose his tooth. Since this was a scary time for me and my son, I wanted to write this blog as a source of information for other parents who are facing a dental emergency. First of all, don't panic and get to your dentist as soon as possible. I hope this blog will help to answer your questions about dental emergencies.