Veneers: are they the best option for you?

• Appearance – they look natural
• Colour – a white veneer put over a dark tooth can naturally make your smile seem brighter!
• Stain resistance – porcelain veneers are difficult to stain
• Reliability – cosmetic dentists widely acknowledge that, for patients with misshapen, crooked and discoloured teeth, they are the best and most predictable way of achieving that longed-for perfect smile.
• Improvements in technology –veneers are becoming thinner and less obtrusive than ever; reducing the need to remove teeth tissue.
• New products – veneers such as Lumineers have recently come on the market. These are as thin as a contact lens and can be positioned over existing teeth without patients having to endure the pain of having tooth structure removed.  Lumineers guarantee a painless procedure, sensitivity-free results and a permanent whitening effect.

Veneers: some things you should know

Sarah  D’Alessandro said: “There is perhaps a tendency among many practitioners to in some cases disregard the integrity of the tooth and opt for veneers as the first choice for a smile enhancement.”

She believes that veneers can be amazingly beneficial but points out that traditional veneer procedure can involve unnecessarily removing healthy tooth tissue. Is it worth risking your dental health just to improve your appearance?

Other issues to consider include

• Maintenance issues – once veneers are fitted, life-long maintenance of them is required. Eventually, the veneers will have to be replaced; they often a lifespan of about a decade.
• Permanence – the process is often not reversible.
• Colour co-ordination – does the veneer match the colour of your other teeth? It might be worth undergoing teeth whitening on all your teeth before you have a veneer fitted as the veneer’s colour cannot be changed after the procedure.
• Suitability – patients with unhealthy or weakened teeth might not be appropriate for veneer treatment.