A great smile can be a huge asset, but very few of us are blessed with naturally straight, proportioned and gleaming white teeth. Cosmetic dental procedures are on the increase, and two of the most popular choices are porcelain veneers and dental bonding.
What are porcelain veneers?
Veneers are thin shell-like coverings that sit on the enamel on the front of the teeth. If you were to look at them before they are applied, they look a lot like fingernails. Veneers are custom-created so that they perfectly fit the size and shape of your existing teeth. They are also available in a variety of shades so that you can choose one that gives you a stunning natural smile.
Benefits of porcelain veneers
There are a number of benefits associated with porcelain veneers which make them such a popular cosmetic solution for damaged, misshapen or discolored teeth. These include:
- They are custom-designed, meaning that they look completely natural.
- They are very resistant to stains such as tea, coffee and wine.
- Very minimal treatment is needed to your existing teeth in order to fit them.
- They are relatively hard-wearing, and with care, should last you a very long time, making them a good investment.
Disadvantages of porcelain veneers
There are very few disadvantages of porcelain veneers, but there are a few things that you should be aware of.
- Fitting veneers requires that a little of the natural tooth enamel is removed,so that the new veneer can sit properly over the top. Once this original enamel has been removed, it is not possible to reverse it, and therefore when your veneer process has started, there is no going back!
- Short-term tooth sensitivity is common straight after having your veneers fitted. This is because you will have had a small portion of your natural enamel removed. However, this sensitivity should abate after a couple of days.
- Brittleness. Although veneers can be a good long-term investment, you do need to help by looking after your new smile, which you can do by avoiding biting your nails, ice cubes and other activities which require substantial force.
- The process to create your custom-designed veneers means that it can take several weeks for your new smile to be ready.
What is dental bonding?
Dental bonding is another cosmetic dental procedure that seeks to rectify the cosmetic appearance of teeth by using composite resin to mask any imperfections. The resin is a dense, putty-like substance that is color-matched to your other-teeth and then pasted on.
Benefits of dental bonding
Dental bonding has a number of benefits, which include:
- Virtually no preparation of the tooth is required, the substance is literally passed on to your existing teeth.
- It can be completed in just one visit to Vero Dental Spa.
- Bonding is substantially cheaper than dental veneers.
Disadvantages of dental bonding
Bonding may be cheaper than dental veneers, but there are a number of considerations that you will need to make. These include:
- The resin used in bonding isn’t stain resistant. Therefore you may find that over time, your smile becomes discolored again.
- Dental bonding is applied only to the teeth that require it, and as such, is a better solution for minor imperfections and repairs, rather than a total smile makeover.
Which is the right choice for me?
The variety of cosmetic improvement that is right for you will really depend on the extent of the work that you need. If your smile is already very nice, and you only have a couple of small imperfections such as stains or chips, then you may wish to consider dental bonding. However, if a number of your teeth are badly stained or damaged then you may be better with porcelain veneers which will provide a total smile makeover. We highly recommend that you speak with a doctor who will be happy to make a recommendation based on your individual needs.