The 1-2-3 Truth about Dental Veneers

If you are an avid reader of the Summit Dental blog, you’ve heard about our dental veneers more than once. Now, however, is a time for us to lay out exactly what they are, how they work, and why you might need them.

1. What Are Dental Veneers?

A Dental veneer is a thin sheet of porcelain designed to lay over a patient’s front tooth. They can be compared to a slimmed-down crown. Instead of creating a crown that recreates a whole tooth, however, a veneer just recreates the front and edge of a tooth.

A Dental veneer is a thin sheet of porcelain designed to lay over a patient’s front tooth. They can be compared to a slimmed-down crown. Instead of creating a crown that recreates a whole tooth, however, a veneer just recreates the front and edge of a tooth.

2. How Do I get a Dental Veneer?

First, a Boise dentist from our office will begin with a diagnostic appointment to see what you are looking for and if a dental veneer will get the job done. Then, our Boise dentist creates a digital mock-up to make sure you like the look of the veneers, and we’ll prepare your teeth for them while our in-office CEREC machine creates your dental veneer. Once that is finished, we’ll attach the veneer with a temporary glue to make sure you like the final look, and then we’ll bond them to your teeth permanently! For a quick demonstration on how a Boise dentist would install dental veneers, take a look at this short animated video.

3. Why Do I Need Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers can be used to repair a chip, a broken tooth, a crack, an odd tooth shape, or a discolored tooth. Sometimes a patient will notice that not all their teeth responded to teeth whitening, leaving one tooth darker and discolored while the others are white. Another tooth could be too small or too short to be even with the other teeth. Dental veneers fix these problems without altering the original tooth too much. As long as the patient’s tooth is still sound, a Boise dentist may be able to get you a dental veneer instead of a crown.

Looking to get a chip fixed or hoping to even out the shape or color of your front teeth? Give a Boise dentist a call at Summit Dental! Our office is always friendly and eager to help, and we may be able to get you a dental veneer in a single one-day appointment!