Looking for an affordable way to beautify your smile? The answer could be dental veneers, thin wafers of porcelain bonded to the front of teeth to hide stains, chips or other deformities. Custom-made veneers can look so much like natural teeth in color and shape, it’s hard to tell they’re there.
To achieve this realism, though, it’s usually necessary to alter the tooth first. That’s because a veneer can look unnaturally bulky when bonded to an unprepared tooth. To compensate, we often remove a slight amount of surface enamel so that the veneer’s width won’t be unattractive.
This alteration doesn’t harm a tooth as long as it has a veneer or some other restoration to protect any exposed underlayer of dentin. And because the alteration is permanent, the tooth will need a veneer or other protective covering from then on.
In recent years, though, two new options called no-prep or minimal-prep veneers make it possible to avoid or at least decrease the amount of enamel reduction needed. This is possible thanks mainly to improvements in the strength composition of the dental material used in them.
As a result, these veneers are as thin as contact lenses and may only require slight enamel reshaping to smooth out the sides of the teeth for a better fit. And, unlike traditional veneers, you can have them removed and return to your original look without the need for another restoration.
Low prep veneers are best suited for patients with teeth that are small (or appear small), worn, narrow or only slightly stained or misshapen. Someone with oversized teeth, on the other hand, or that jut forward may still need extensive tooth preparation or even orthodontic work beforehand.
If you do meet the criteria, though, you may be able to benefit from low prep veneers. Because there’s no tooth preparation, you may not even need local anesthesia. And you can reverse the restoration if you desire without harm to your teeth.
To find out if you might benefit from these new kinds of veneers, see us for an initial dental examination to see if you qualify. It’s your first step toward a more beautiful and confident smile.
If you would like more information on no-prep or minimal-prep veneers, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “No-Prep Porcelain Veneers.”