At a preliminary appointment with your dentist in Kitchener, your dentist will discuss all your cosmetic dentistry options to achieve your goals. Your dentist will carefully inspect your teeth and gums, and may take x-rays to get a comprehensive understanding of the state of your teeth, gums and jaw. In some cases, a dentist near you may recommend alternatives to porcelain veneers, or recommend that you undergo procedures to address issues revealed in this assessment. For example, if the tooth you’re interested in covering with a veneer is affected by tooth decay or adjacent gum disease, your dentist will recommend that those conditions be addressed before a veneer is placed.
Assuming that your dentist confirms veneers are appropriate to accomplish your goals, your dentist will schedule a second appointment (or proceed to these next steps at the same appointment). A thin layer of enamel — approximately half of a millimetre thick — will be removed from the tooth you want to cover with a veneer. Removing that enamel will permit the dentist to bond the veneer to your tooth without adding noticeable bulk to your tooth. (If you are a good candidate for no-prep or prepless veneers, an even thinner layer of enamel — or no enamel at all — may require removal.) In some circumstances, this process may be performed under local anesthesia to ensure your fullest possible comfort.
Once any enamel that needs to be removed from your tooth or teeth has been removed, your dentist in Kitchener will take impressions of your teeth. The mold bearing those impressions will be sent to a dental laboratory where technicians will prepare veneers specifically for your teeth. That process typically takes a week or two.
Once your dentist receives your veneers from the dental laboratory, an appointment will be scheduled to fit you with those veneers. Your dentist will confirm that the veneers fit properly and achieve the goals identified at your initial assessment. Once the fit is confirmed, your dentist will take an additional essential step before placing your veneers — cleaning your teeth to ensure that no bacteria or food particles are caught between the veneer and your prepared tooth when the veneer is put in place.
Your dentist will then roughen the surface of the tooth that will receive the veneer before attaching the veneer to the tooth with special dental adhesives. That dental cement will be hardened by exposing it to ultraviolet light. Once the veneer has been bonded in place, your dentist will trim and polish the veneer as required to make sure it blends completely naturally with your own natural teeth.
If you received local anesthetic before your veneers were placed, you should avoid eating until the anesthetic has worn off — or do so very carefully to avoid accidentally biting your tongue, lips or cheeks.
In some situations, you may notice some rough texture on or around your veneers. That is probably excess cement. That cement will be worn away while you eat and brush your teeth over the following days. If you notice that roughness persists beyond several days, get in touch with your dentist and ask them to smoothen away any lingering roughness.
Well-maintained porcelain veneers in Kitchener will last between 10 and 15 years. The thinner no-prep or prepless veneers have a shorter lifespan that usually ranges from five to seven years.)
As you can see, being fit with porcelain veneers near you is a minimally invasive and relatively quick process, once you take into account the time the technicians will need to prepare veneers just for you. If you want to start the process of perfecting your own teeth and smile, call a dental clinic near you to arrange an initial appointment.