Straighten Your Teeth Without Anyone Knowing
Do you want to straighten your teeth, but you’re not a fan of metal braces? If you’re looking to straighten your teeth without anyone knowing, read on. We’ve got the solution for you.
Your teeth go through a lot during your life, and in the process, they may become chipped from biting issues or trauma, or they may shift in your mouth so they’re sitting crooked. Teeth can also become stained from food, drink, tobacco, or medications.
These cosmetic issues can put a serious dent in your self-confidence and make you vow not to smile again. That’s where veneers come in. Dentists use these wafer-thin coverings to mask a wide range of aesthetic tooth issues as well as protect your teeth from acid and decay.
Nataly Vilderman, DDS in San Francisco, California is skillfully trained in porcelain veneers, and routinely uses them to brighten her patients’ smiles and boost their self-confidence. Dr. Vilderman and her team have created this guide to share what you need to know about the easy and painless process of getting veneers.
Dental veneers are also known as porcelain veneers or dental porcelain laminates. They’re wafer-thin, custom-made shells that are bonded to the front of your tooth to change its shape, color, size, or length, and are also intended to improve your overall appearance.
For some teeth, veneers are a durable and affordable alternative to a dental crown. Veneers don’t improve your tooth health by themselves, though they do contribute to improved oral hygiene. They primarily help give your mouth a more vibrant, brighter look.
Dental veneers can be made from either porcelain or resin composite materials, though Dr. Vilderman prefers porcelain veneers over resin ones for a number of reasons.
Porcelain veneers:
Most of Dr. Shabo’s veneers last 15-30 years after which they need to be replaced.
Your dentist may recommend veneers if your teeth and gums are otherwise healthy, but you have one or more teeth that are:
Though primarily an aesthetic procedure, veneers are good for more than just a pretty smile. They also repair small cracks to seal them against pathogens and debris and shore up weakened enamel against food and bacteria.
Veneers also fill in minor gaps between healthy teeth and make the spacing appear more even. That’s helpful because gaps can attract debris and plaque.
Veneers are versatile and can be used to treat one tooth or many. In addition, they’re:
And by covering up the signs of wear and tear that build up over a lifetime, veneers can give you back your self-confidence and radiant smile.
Getting veneers usually requires three office visits — the first for a consultation with Dr. Vilderman and two more to make and apply the veneers.
At the second visit, they reshape the tooth’s front surface by shaving off a small amount of enamel, equal to the thickness of the veneer.
The team creates a visual representation of how your smile will look, which consists of digital impressions of your teeth and a wax model, and the latter can help you visualize how your veneer-improved smile will look.
They send these impressions to a dental lab that creates your veneers in about two weeks. The dentist places temporary veneers over your teeth until the permanent ones arrive.
At your third visit, after checking the veneers for fit and trimming where necessary, the dentist bonds them to your teeth. They can adjust the color with the shade of cement they use, so they’ll fit in with your surrounding teeth.
After curing the cement with an ultraviolet light, which causes the cement to harden quickly, you’re ready to go. The process is painless and requires no recovery or downtime. And best of all, you see an immediate improvement in your smile.
Do you have stained, dull, or chipped teeth that make you embarrassed to open your mouth? You could probably benefit from veneers. To find out more about the process, give Nataly Vilderman, DDS a call at 415-665-7800, or book your appointment online.
