Dental Dilemmas Veneers Can Fix
You’ve probably heard about dental veneers and their smile transformation powers. The thin shells of porcelain cover the front of your teeth and allow dentists to take a drab or dull smile and turn it into one worthy of a Hollywood red carpet. But how do you know you’re a good candidate for dental veneers?
If one or more of these situations feels familiar, chances are high that you’re a candidate for dental veneers.
1. Whitening products aren’t able to effectively brighten your smile.
The color of teeth doesn’t necessarily indicate their health, but many people find a bright, white smile inviting and attractive. Unfortunately, diet, lifestyle, dental injuries, and even certain medications can leave teeth yellowed, spotty, or darkly discolored.
While you can lift some moderate yellowing caused by your daily cup of coffee with standard whitening products, this isn’t always the case for very deep stains and permanent discoloration. If you’ve tried whitening strips at home or professional in-office whitening without the desired results, it’s time to consider dental veneers.
Veneers will allow you to permanently get your smile to the brightness level you want. Best of all, porcelain veneers are resistant to stains! With proper oral hygiene, your new smile will remain as bright and beautiful as when the veneers were placed. To help you get the perfect shade of white, our dentists often recommend whitening your smile before placing your veneers.
2. You’d like to close gaps between your teeth without orthodontics.
Orthodontic care isn’t the only way to give your teeth a straighter appearance. If your smile has a few gaps or minor crowding, dental veneers are a cosmetic solution that doesn’t require months or years of wearing braces.
It’s important to know that veneers are strictly cosmetic, meaning they only change how your smile looks. Orthodontic treatment, whether braces or Invisalign, is the only way to physically shift the position of your teeth into straighter alignment. However, if your bite alignment is healthy and functional, opting for veneers instead can be a fantastic alternative to orthodontics. It may even offer additional benefits orthodontic care can’t, such as straightening gaps while also covering discoloration or chipped enamel.
3. Chipped, broken, or cracked teeth affect multiple teeth in your smile.
Accidents happen, and sometimes tooth enamel pays the price. Teeth can become chipped, cracked, or broken in many different ways, from taking a tumble or getting in a car accident to biting down the wrong way on an unpopped popcorn kernel. Chipping can also be caused by dental habits, like chewing on ice or gnawing on a pen cap.
Dental crowns are a popular restorative solution for repairing damaged teeth, but veneers can be equally effective under the right circumstances. For example, teeth with superficial damage that doesn’t significantly impact tooth function can often be treated with a veneer rather than a crown. Remember that veneers are placed individually, so you don’t necessarily need an entire set of veneers to get a stunning look. Your dentist can instead place veneer shells on only the damaged teeth.
If you have severe dental damage and need more support than veneers can provide, dental crowns are an ideal restorative solution in many cases. Your dentist can even combine dental crowns and veneers in a custom smile makeover.
4. Age, bruxism, or TMJ disorders have left your teeth worn down.
Maybe your teeth don’t have chips or cracks; instead, they look worn down and drab. Enamel erosion and wearing down of the edges of your teeth can happen naturally over time or develop quite quickly from TMJ disorders caused by bruxism.
Bruxism, or grinding of the teeth and clenching of the jaw, often occurs in response to stress, anxiety, and undiagnosed pain. Not surprisingly, bruxism and TMJ disorders often occur simultaneously. When left unchecked, bruxism can cause the teeth to wear down on the edges where they meet, resulting in an abnormal shape, with teeth appearing very short and squared off.
To be a candidate for dental veneers, your bruxism or TMJ disorder must first be treated. Your dentist will ensure you’ve achieved optimal oral health and your bruxism or TMJ disorder (TMD) is resolved or under strict management to ensure you get the maximum lifespan out of your veneers. Myofunctional therapy is a natural solution to TMD for some that works with your body to resolve functional issues that can result in TMJ pain.
5. You find yourself hiding your smile because of how it looks.
There are many reasons people choose to get veneers, but the most common reason is also the simplest—they want to feel more confident when they smile. Even if your smile is healthy and your teeth aren’t necessarily damaged, if you hide your smile because of self-consciousness or embarrassment, you’re a candidate for dental veneers.
When you feel confident in your smile, you’re guaranteed to smile more often and more freely. Studies show that people with great smiles are often viewed as more attractive, successful, and trustworthy. Your smile makeover with veneers will not only make you feel great about yourself but also benefit your personal and professional relationships and even help you get the edge on that next job interview.
Book a smile makeover consultation at Ada Smile Place.
Our welcoming office is your local destination for stunning dental veneers in Ada, OK. If you think you’re ready for a life-changing smile makeover with dental veneers, the first step is to see one of our dentists for a consultation. Schedule your appointment today via phone or our online booking portal.
