Often, when you have veneers, your teeth have to be prepared first, and this involves shaving away a very fine layer of the tooth surface. With no shaving dental veneer you can transform your smile while keeping the structure of the tooth intact. If you’re looking for a simple, painless and effective way to spruce up your smile, natural looking dental veneers could be the solution.
What Is Thin No Shaving Dental Veneer?
Looking for an affordable way to beautify your smile? The answer could be dental veneers, thin wafers of porcelain bonded to the front of teeth to hide stains, chips or other deformities. Custom-made veneers can look so much like natural teeth in color and shape, it’s hard to tell they’re there.
To achieve this realism, though, it’s usually necessary to alter the tooth first. That’s because a veneer can look unnaturally bulky when bonded to an unprepared tooth. To compensate, dentists often remove a slight amount of surface enamel so that the veneer’s width won’t be unattractive.
This alteration doesn’t harm a tooth as long as it has a veneer or some other restoration to protect any exposed underlayer of dentin. And because the alteration is permanent, the tooth will need a veneer or other protective covering from then on.
In recent years, though, two new options called no-prep or minimal-prep veneers make it possible to avoid or at least decrease the amount of enamel reduction needed. This is possible thanks mainly to improvements in the strength composition of the dental material used in them.
As a result, these veneers are as thin as contact lenses and may only require slight enamel reshaping to smooth out the sides of the teeth for a better fit. And, unlike traditional veneers, you can have them removed and return to your original look without the need for another restoration.
Low prep veneers are best suited for patients with teeth that are small (or appear small), worn, narrow or only slightly stained or misshapen. Someone with oversized teeth, on the other hand, or that jut forward may still need extensive tooth preparation or even orthodontic work beforehand.
If you do meet the criteria, though, you may be able to benefit from low prep veneers. Because there’s no tooth preparation, you may not even need local anesthesia. And you can reverse the restoration if you desire without harm to your teeth.
To find out if you might benefit from these new kinds of veneers, see dentist for an initial dental examination to see if you qualify. It’s your first step toward a more beautiful and confident smile.
The Benefits Of Traditional And No Shaving Veneers
Both veneers offer an attractive smile, help preserve healthy teeth, and create a uniform smile that’s consistent with color and shape.
For traditional veneers, they provide a more permanent solution to unattractive teeth. Depending on the materials they’re made of, they can be less expensive, and the color can last longer.
No-prep veneers provide a simpler, attractive smile without the drastic consequences of the removal of your teeth. Both composite and porcelain no-prep veneers help fix gaps in your teeth, cove up sharper, unusually shaped, and severely discolored teeth without intensive surgery. Veneers offer these advantages:
- They provide a natural tooth appearance.
- Gums tolerates porcelain well.
- Porcelain veneers are stain resistant.
- A color can be selected to make dark teeth appear whiter.
- They generally don’t require as much shaping as crowns do, yet they are stronger and look better.
Who Is A Candidate For This Non-invasive Technique?
People who have teeth that are fairly well aligned with good dental health who want a change in the color or contour of the tooth surfaces are excellent candidates for no-prep veneers. Veneers are routinely used to fix:
- Teeth that are discolored because of:
- root canal treatment
- stains from tetracyclineor other drugs
- excessive fluoride
- large resin fillings
- other causes
- Teeth that are worn down
- Teeth that are chipped or broken
- Teeth that are misaligned, uneven, or irregularly shaped (for example, have craters or bulges in them)
- Teeth with gaps between them (to close the space between these teeth)
What Is the Lifespan Of Veneers?
Currently, the approximate lifespan of veneers is around 10 years. Because each individual is unique, this timeframe can vary for every patient. In fact, with appropriate maintenance and care, some veneers can last upwards of 15 to 20 years. As dental materials continue to advance, veneers could last even longer.
What Things Can Shorten The Lifespan Of Veneers?
Although dental porcelain is strong and resilient, it is not invulnerable to wear and tear. Normal daily functioning can take a toll on any dental restoration after years of use. Additionally, patients should be aware of these harmful factors:
- Tooth decay: While restorations are impervious to cavities, the underlying tooth structure is not. Therefore, proper hygiene is necessary to keep the teeth healthy. If decay develops, the veneer will need to be removed in order to treat the problem.
- Bruxism: Teeth grinding or clenching can take a serious toll on porcelain veneers as well as the natural teeth.
- Trauma: Falls, accidents, or sports-related injuries can all cause dental damage. Just like natural teeth, porcelain veneers are susceptible to trauma.
- Unnatural or excessive pressure: Using the teeth as tools will inevitably lead to dental injury. If you chew on ice, pens, pencils, or similar objects, it can cause irreversible damage.
- Discoloration: Fortunately, dental porcelain is resistant to staining. However, if food deposits are consistently left on the teeth, veneers can eventually become discolored.
Aftercare
Oral Hygiene
Brushing and flossing is necessary for every patient. However, for those with no shaving veneers or other dental restorations, it is even more important.
As time passes, the dental cement used to bond the veneers into place may slightly erode. As a result, bacteria can breed in the crevices. However, proper hygiene can prevent this from occurring.
At bare minimum, patients should brush twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed, and floss at least once daily. Always use a soft-bristled toothbrush, as more abrasive brushes can damage the gum tissue. It is also a good idea to rinse twice daily with an ADA-accepted mouthwash.
If you are unable to brush your teeth after every meal, rinse your mouth out with water. This will help remove debris and food particles and deter bacterial buildup.
Mouth Guard
If you suffer from bruxism, or teeth-grinding, talk to dentist about a custom mouth guard before pursuing any cosmetic treatment. Consistent grinding or clenching can lead to a host of serious dental issues, such as tooth erosion, chipping, and even temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). A custom mouth guard will cushion your teeth and keep them slightly apart to prevent damage.
If you play contact sports, an athletic mouth guard is absolutely crucial to preserve your smile. Cosmetic treatments can be costly. Mouth guards can help you protect your investment.
Faq
Do I Have To Get My Teeth “Drilled Down” To Get Porcelain Veneers?
Not necessarily. Certain situations may not require the removal of natural tooth structure to apply porcelain veneers. The dentist simply makes a mold of the existing teeth and then fabricates porcelain films to give the teeth new surfaces.
Is There A Need For Anesthesia With This Procedure?
There is often no need for anesthetic injections or temporary restorations with no-prep veneers. However, such a determination is made on a case-by-case basis.
Are No-prep Veneers More Costly Than Regular Veneers?
No-prep veneers can often be placed at a lower cost due to less of the dentist’s time being needed for preparation or temporaries.
