Porcelain Veneers – Newington, CT
Put Aesthetic Flaws Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Discolored, cracked, or otherwise flawed teeth can affect your overall appearance and be detrimental to your confidence. At Family Dental Practice of Newington, we offer a number of cosmetic treatments that can address such issues, including porcelain veneers. This procedure has already helped countless celebrities and everyday folks alike to achieve ideal teeth. It may be able to help you as well. When you are ready to learn more, contact us to schedule your cosmetic consultation.
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
A porcelain veneer is a thin piece of porcelain that we affix to the front of a tooth. Its purpose is to change the tooth’s appearance by covering flaws like discoloration, minor misalignment, chips, and more. We custom-design each veneer to work with a patient’s natural facial features and dental structures. Some patients receive just one veneer to cover a particularly unattractive tooth, whereas others opt for a full set of 4 – 8 veneers to create a total smile transformation.
How Do Porcelain Veneers Work?
First, we will make sure that you are a candidate for porcelain veneers. We may also suggest that you get your teeth whitened and/or cleaned prior to receiving them. Once any preliminary treatments are complete, the porcelain veneer process will take place over the course of two appointments.
At your first appointment, we will prepare your teeth by removing a sliver of enamel. We do this to ensure that the veneers will not make your smile look bulky or unnatural. Then, we will take impressions of the teeth. The impressions, along with detailed notes about the design of the veneers, get sent to the dental laboratory that will fabricate them. At your second appointment, we will verify that the veneers fit before we attach them to the teeth.
Benefits of Porcelain Veneers
Some of the primary benefits of porcelain veneers include:
- With proper care, veneers may last for a decade or longer.
- Stain resistance. Porcelain is nonporous, which means that it cannot absorb pigments from coffee, red wine, and other substances. Your veneers should maintain their original color for many years.
- Natural appearance. We design veneers to your specifications. We will help you make decisions about their color, size, and shape to produce results that are attractive and natural-looking.
- Easy maintenance. Caring for veneers is quite simple. You will just need to take a few simple precautions to ensure that they do not break or become scratched. For example, it is important to use a non-abrasive toothpaste and wear a mouthguard when you play sports.
How to Know if Veneers Are Right for You
If you are free of gum disease, have healthy tooth enamel, and want a long-term solution to the aesthetic imperfections in your teeth, you are probably an excellent candidate for veneers. To find out for sure if they will work for you, visit us for a consultation. We will answer your questions, give you a cost estimate, and hopefully get you on the road to achieving your ideal smile.
Understanding the Cost of Veneers
Veneers are a premium cosmetic dentistry service that has the power to completely transform your smile. Many patients view them as a worthwhile investment in their confidence and self-image. However, the cost of veneers in Newington can be significant. Below, you will find information to help you understand whether they would be a smart purchase for you.
Cost vs. Cosmetic Dentistry: Weighing Your Options
Veneers are just one of many cosmetic dentistry options. Here is a brief comparison of some popular treatments, their price ranges, and the benefits they offer:
- Orthodontic treatment is much more than a cosmetic fix. In addition to enhancing your appearance, it can also improve your oral health. However, if your dental misalignment is not threatening your oral health, you might end up spending thousands of dollars and many months simply to reposition a few teeth for aesthetic purposes.
- Teeth whitening. Professional whitening is relatively inexpensive, typically costing just a few hundred dollars. It is also quick and highly effective. However, it only affects the color of your teeth. It cannot address issues like chips, cracks, and minor misalignment. It is often used along with other treatments, such as veneers, to effect a total smile transformation.
- Also called dental bonding, direct bonding, or cosmetic bonding, this treatment is a quick and inexpensive way to correct minor flaws in teeth. However, it is not particularly durable.
- Veneers in Newington can address a wide range of aesthetic issues in just a few appointments. Plus, they have the potential to last for well over a decade. Although they present a significant upfront cost, they offer a wonderful value.
If you are not sure which cosmetic treatments best fit your circumstances and goals, ask your cosmetic dentist in Newington for their opinion. Our team will be happy to help you weigh your options.
How to Make Veneers Affordable
The vast majority of dental insurance policies do not cover veneers because they are considered to be an elective, purely cosmetic treatment. Fortunately, though, there are other provisions that might help you achieve your smile goals without breaking your budget:
- We are partnered with CareCredit, a third-party financier that offers low-interest and no-interest payment arrangements for medical and dental services, including veneers. Most patients get approved for credit, and you might have the opportunity to choose from several different plans.
- Essential Dental Savings Plan. In exchange for a small fee, this membership plan provides discounts on virtually all the services we offer.
If you would like to learn more about veneers and their cost, reach out to us to schedule a consultation. Let us know your budget, and we will do all we can to help you enhance your teeth without placing financial pressure on you. We may even be able to adjust your treatment plan (for example, placing just a few veneers instead of a whole set) or take other steps to help you afford your new look. We want you to love what you see in the mirror!
Veneers FAQs
Would you like to enhance your appearance with veneers in Newington? This treatment can provide you with many years of beautiful smiles. Before you schedule your consultation with us, however, it is understandable if you want to learn more about the road ahead. That is why we have put together the following list of frequently asked questions about veneers, along with their answers. If you do not see the information you were specifically looking for, please reach out to us directly. We look forward to speaking with you.
Are Veneers Permanent?
A set of veneers typically lasts for 10 – 15 years before replacement becomes necessary. Once your original set wears out, however, you cannot go back to having an entirely natural smile. This is because the process for placing veneers requires that the teeth be modified via the removal of a sliver of enamel. The thinned enamel may cause your teeth to be extra sensitive, and since it will not grow back, you will need something to protect your teeth. Therefore, veneers are rightly considered to be a permanent commitment because as each set wears out, you should replace it.
Is There Anything I Cannot Eat with Veneers?
You will have temporary veneers before your permanent ones are attached to your teeth. Temporary veneers may fall off if you eat sticky foods, and they are prone to breakage if you use them to bite into anything hard or tough. They can also stain, so it would be wise to avoid things like coffee, red wine, and other highly pigmented foods and beverages.
Once your permanent veneers are in place, you should be able to eat virtually anything without worry. Veneers that are made out of porcelain are highly resistant to stains, so enjoying coffee in moderation should not be a problem. It would be wise to limit your alcohol intake because alcohol may weaken the bonding material that keeps veneers in place.
How Many Veneers Will I Need?
Veneers are a versatile treatment. If you want to correct the appearance of just one tooth that has a crack or a chip, a single veneer might be all you need. In general, though, most people purchase several veneers — enough to cover all of the teeth that are visible when they smile. This ensures a uniform appearance and offers the most dramatic results. In such cases, a person may purchase as few as six veneers or as many as 10 – 12. During your consultation with your cosmetic dentist in Newington, we will be able to make a recommendation about how many veneers you need to achieve your goals.
Can You Whiten Veneers?
Veneers do not respond to whitening treatments. If you attempt to whiten your teeth with veneers, the surrounding teeth may become brighter while the veneers continue to look the same, resulting in a mismatched smile. If you wish to whiten your teeth, it is best to do so before getting veneers rather than after.