What Happens To The Teeth Under Veneers?

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Veneers are modern cosmetic dental treatments with outstanding aesthetic results. They restore damaged, stained, or chipped teeth with multiple oral health benefits.

What Happens To The Teeth Under Veneers?

However, have you wondered what happens to teeth under veneers, how they affect your natural teeth, and what their lifespan is? While e thin layer of enamel is removed so the veneers can be attached to the teeth, the tooth is largely protected by the veneer.

In this article, we will discuss how veneers affect your natural teeth and their process, maintenance, and durability.

The Process of Getting Veneers

  • Consultation with a Cosmetic Dentist: First, your dentist must assess your oral health during an initial consultation. At this stage, it is essential to determine and discuss your aesthetic goals and compatibility with the treatment. Unfortunately, not everyone is a good candidate for dental veneers. Some conditions, such as gum disease, extensive decay, bruxism, insufficient dental structure, or malocclusion can impede the treatment. Additionally, this stage involves cost estimations, X-rays, and initial impressions of your teeth.
  • Teeth Preparation: Tooth preparation requires removing a small layer of enamel from your tooth surface. This step creates space for the veneer material, typically porcelain. Although teeth preparation might sound like a harmful practice, it is a minimally invasive, painless, and justified process that guarantees your porcelain veneer precise fit. With the preparation finished, your dentist can obtain an impression of your remaining tooth structure to manufacture the final veneer.
  • Veneer Placement: Unlike conventional dental bonding with dental composite, veneers are custom-made in a dental lab outside your dental clinic. Once your cosmetic dentist obtains the final veneers, he performs various trials and adjustments to ensure the ideal fit and appearance.
Veneer Placement

Your veneers also match your natural tooth color and shade, giving them an unnoticeable natural result.

After securing the appropriate fit, your specialist bonds your new veneers to your teeth with a specialized adhesive. Lastly, he completes the procedure with a curing light to harden the adhesive and polish the restoration.

Impact on Natural Teeth

Minimal Alteration to Natural Teeth: Although dental veneers require removing a thin layer of enamel, this alteration is minimal compared to other dental procedures such as crowns or onlays. As a result, porcelain or E-max veneers preserve most of your natural tooth structure.

Protection of Underlying Teeth: Once the procedure is done, your veneers provide a protective layer over your teeth, preserving them from further damage and wear. Therefore, dental veneers can serve as protection when you have chipped, discolored, or worn teeth.

In consequence, dental veneers are particularly efficient in treating dark and intrinsic stains that cannot be solved with dental bleaching.

Potential Risks and Complications: While veneers are usually safe dental treatments, there are potential risks and complications to the procedure. However, they typically result from procedure mistakes and poor planning.

Following, you can find a list of the most frequent risks and complications for veneers:

  • Post-operative tooth sensitivity,
  • Veneers detachment,
  • Tooth enamel fracture, and
  • The need for sudden replacements.

Nonetheless, these are uncommon complications that professionals avoid with the appropriate procedure.

Essential Maintenance Tips

Essential Maintenance Tips

Proper Oral Hygiene Practices: Maintaining good oral hygiene is essential for every dental treatment. As a result, the longevity of your veneers depends directly on your hygiene habits and routine. Brush and floss your teeth daily to prevent gum disease or a dental cavity beneath your treatment.

Also, use fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash to prevent plaque buildup and prolong the lifespan of your treatment.

Regular Dental Checkups: Your dentist needs to monitor the condition of your veneers and underlying natural teeth periodically. By attending your regular professional cleanings and check-ups, you ensure any potential issue is addressed quickly and without complications.

Avoiding Habits That Can Damage Veneers: You should avoid harmful habits such as nail biting, ice chewing, chewing on hard objects, or using your teeth as tools. All these customs can damage your new veneers or affect your underlying tooth structure.

Additionally, prolong and maintain your veneer’s appearance by limiting the consumption of staining foods and drinks such as coffee, wine, and tea.

Understanding the Longevity and Durability of Veneers

Average Lifespan of Veneers: Dental veneers typically last between 10 and 15 years if you take good care of them. Your treatment’s longevity depends on multiple factors, such as the material used, oral hygiene practices, and lifestyle habits.

Shortly, the more you maintain proper care, the more time you will enjoy your veneer treatment.

Veneer removal and replacement: Occasionally, dental veneer treatment can fail and require replacement. Fortunately, bonded procedures can be removed and replaced safely.

Nowadays, specialists can remove veneers manually or with a dental laser in a quick appointment. Also, your teeth always receive temporary veneers to prevent tooth sensitivity and guarantee great results.

Finally, the durability and replacement of your veneers depend on several factors. Most of them depend on your habits, regular monitoring, and proper home maintenance.

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