Your Ideal Smile is Within Reach

Do you ever find yourself scrolling through recent photos on your cell phone and suddenly become fixated on the appearance of your upper front teeth — raising the question of what can be done to improve your smile? If the answer is “yes,” don’t worry — you’re not alone! In fact, many studies have shown there’s a direct correlation between the appearance of your smile and self-confidence.

Cosmetic Dental Options

Modern dentistry can offer patients a wide range of painless, noninvasive and predictable solutions to address esthetic concerns. The top three cosmetic dental procedures commonly used to improve the appearance of front teeth include teeth whitening, teeth straightening (orthodontics) and porcelain veneers. Deciding which option to choose is largely based on your desired outcome along with a detailed discussion and exam by your cosmetic dentist or prosthodontist (a specialist who makes teeth replacements, such as crowns, bridges, veneers and the like).

Let’s take a closer look at veneers, which may be the smile solution you’ve been envisioning.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneer treatment is a minimally invasive and predictable treatment to improve the overall appearance of front teeth. Unlike tooth whitening or orthodontics treatment alone, porcelain veneers also allow your cosmetic dentist to improve the shape of your teeth, giving you your ideal smile. And these veneers are custom made to look natural and feel natural. Often, porcelain veneer treatment can be completed in as little as three dental visits.

What to expect on your first dental visit: You’ll begin with a detailed conversation with your cosmetic dentist about your esthetic concerns. Dental records such as digital impressions, smile photos and X-rays will be gathered. A digital smile design and 3D-printed model of your newly designed front teeth is then fabricated. This will be the first time you can visualize your ideal smile.

On your second visit: Your natural teeth will be prepared for the new porcelain veneers. In this process, only a thin layer of enamel is removed to make space for the porcelain veneer layer. Unlike a full coverage dental crown, which requires all the enamel to be removed from the tooth, a porcelain veneer requires only a fraction of the tooth to be removed. A specialized scanner is then used to create a digital impression of your teeth, which is then used to fabricate the final cosmetic veneers.

On your final visit: Your cosmetic dentist will then bond your new esthetic porcelain veneers onto your natural teeth. And just like that — you have the smile of your dreams!

Home Care for Porcelain Veneers

Once your treatment is completed, it’s vital to maintain the health and beauty of your new esthetic restorations. Fortunately, maintaining your porcelain veneers is easy. In fact, the veneers are nonporous ceramic material and therefore are stain resistant. You’ll follow your normal oral health routine of brushing twice a day and flossing at least once a day. Finally, make sure to keep your regularly scheduled dental visits for teeth cleanings and exams.

Considerations

Before porcelain veneers can be considered, you must have excellent oral health. The ideal patient should be cavity free, have impeccable gum health and show no signs of tooth wear due to clenching and grinding.

How Can I Get Porcelain Veneers?

If you think porcelain veneers may be a good solution to improve your smile, the next step is to contact your local cosmetic dentist or prosthodontist.

The ability to transform your smile with porcelain veneers is easier than you might think. As a prosthodontist specialist, nothing makes me happier than seeing how a cosmetic smile makeover can drastically improve the quality of life of my patients. So, the next time you find yourself scrolling through cell phone pictures, you can feel great about your smile!

Dr. Daniel E. Moore is a prosthodontist specialist. He’s a member of the American College of Prosthodontics and a past President of the Pennsylvania Prosthodontics Association. Dr. Moore is the founder and owner of Visionary Dental in West Chester, where he practices a full scope of prosthodontic and dental implant services. VisionaryDental.com.