Thanks to increasing advancements in cosmetic dentistry, patients are able to get the beautiful smile they've always wanted. If your confidence is affected by your smile, you may be considering porcelain veneers. While porcelain veneers help many patients get a great smile, they may not be right for you, so check out these six pros and cons of porcelain veneers.
Pro: They Are Perfect for Chipped Teeth
If you have a chipped front tooth, it can be difficult to patch with a filling. The force of biting food may cause the filling to frequently fail. Porcelain veneers, however, are perfect at fixing these small chips because they give the tooth an entirely new front exterior. The veneers are held in place with dental bonding cement, which makes them durable enough to withstand wear and tear.
Pro: They Fix Crooked and Gapped Teeth
Even if you have mild to moderate crooked or gapped teeth, veneers can help. Unlike braces, veneers don't actually move your teeth. Instead each veneer is shaped to make the teeth look straight and flush with one another. This gives you an almost-instantly straight smile. They can be beneficial if your teeth are uneven lengths.
Pro: They Make Teeth Look Naturally White and Healthy
Porcelain is used for veneers because, to the naked eye, it looks almost exactly like real tooth tissue. Plus, the porcelain can be colored to different shades of white, and the veneers will cover any fillings. Therefore, you can choose a brighter shade for a suddenly whiter smile. This makes porcelain veneers perfect for people who aren't good candidates for teeth whitening. You may not be a good candidate for teeth whitening if you have lots of fillings/crowns, which are resistant to whitening. Similarly, some discoloration is resistant to whitening, such as discoloration from trauma. Last, if your enamel has cracks and chips, it may make stains appear fast, even after whitening.
Con: They Are Expensive
One of the main reasons patients forgo veneers is the cost. A single porcelain veneer may cost about $500 to $1,100, and to really reap the benefits, you'd need them on all your front teeth. Porcelain veneers are usually considered purely cosmetic, so they are likely not covered by your dental insurance. Porcelain dental crowns, however, may be covered or partially covered if they are also beneficial for the health of the tooth.
Con: They May Weaken Some Teeth
Porcelain dental veneers can't be placed on back teeth because back teeth are required to withstand immense pressure from chewing food. Veneers can be placed on front teeth because less strength is needed to bite food. However, if your front teeth are weak, porcelain veneers may weaken them further. This is because the veneer doesn't fully cover the tooth like a dental crown. Therefore, it may create a pressure point, which may crack if the tooth is already weak from decay or big fillings.
Con: They Require the Removal of Healthy Tooth Tissue
The veneer process is permanent because the dentist has to remove some tooth enamel for the veneers to fit. Less tissue is removed than with dental crowns, but your tooth is forever altered. You'll permanently need a veneer or crown to protect your teeth from decay and sensitivity. While removing the enamel on the thin front teeth, the dentist is at risk for causing damage to the tooth's pulp. This may result in an infection, which will require expensive attention at some point in the future.
If your teeth are relatively healthy, but you have a few cosmetic concerns, veneers may be the best choice. They offer fast, easy solutions to many problems, including crooked and discolored teeth. If you would like more information regarding dental veneers or other cosmetic dental procedures, contact a dentist in your area today.
Share28 September 2018
Hi, my name is Kevin Nelson and I want to tell you about my experience. I had a painful tooth so I went to see my dentist. After the examination, he said that I needed to have a root canal to save the tooth. I told the dentist to just pull the tooth instead and then he explained why that wasn't a good idea. He said that pulling the tooth would cause additional problems and then he told me what could happen. I didn't want any more problems, so the dentist did the root canal and I'm glad that he did. I wanted to write a blog to tell others about the benefits of a root canal and what to expect during the procedure. I hope that by getting the word out, other people won't make the same mistake that I almost did by getting a perfectly good tooth pulled.