Becoming more confident in your smile with veneers

One of the best pieces of advice we’ve ever heard is to never change yourself for other people—only for yourself. This doesn’t mean we can’t change at all, as we should all be striving to become the best, most compassionate, and happiest versions of ourselves. By the same token, we shouldn’t try to fit ourselves into a role or ideal that isn’t right for us just to make someone else happy.This piece of advice holds just as true in our hobbies and relationships as it does in cosmetic procedures. Cosmetic procedures can be instrumental in feeling more confident in your own skin—and that’s okay! It’s natural to want to feel good about your body. Thanks to modern medicine, there are plenty of ways you can make small, impactful changes to your appearance.One way is with dental veneers, which can make all the difference when it comes to truly feeling confident in your smile. But how do you know if dental veneers are right for you, and what can you expect from the procedure? To help you decide if porcelain veneers are right for you, and to help you feel more confident about an upcoming procedure, we’ve put together a guide about veneers and 3 things you can expect from them.

Why would you want veneers?

Dental veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that are artfully designed and crafted just for you before being placed over your natural teeth to change their size, shape, and shade. This makes them incredibly beneficial for resolving several cosmetic dentistry issues, including:

• Covering stained or discolored teeth
• Closing gaps between teeth
• Repairing chipped, cracked, or minorly broken teeth
• Restoring worn-down teeth
• Changing the appearance of irregularly shaped, uneven, or slightly crooked teeth

This cosmetic dentistry treatment makes dental veneers incredibly popular, but they can also provide genuine oral health benefits. When they’re used to restore damaged or worn-down teeth, veneers act as a shield, protecting them from future damage and decay. Similarly, they’re often used to protect teeth that have suffered enamel erosion, relieving symptoms of tooth sensitivity. Even the simple act of making your teeth straighter and more evenly spaced makes it easier to brush and floss your teeth thoroughly, which in turn helps prevent oral health issues like cavities and gum disease.

How do you know if veneers are the best option for you?

With so many other cosmetic dentistry treatment options available, it’s understandable to wonder if veneers are the best option for you. The answer often comes down to what issues you’re looking to correct and what you want from your treatment. Teeth whitening treatments are a great way to whiten your teeth and can erase or greatly improve most stains, but there are some types of stains they can’t remove. If you have staining on your teeth from a certain type of antibiotic or from getting too much fluoride as a child, for example, teeth whitening treatments won’t erase those stains. In that case, porcelain veneers are likely the best option for you.They’re also likely the best option if you want to change the size or shape of your teeth, as they require the removal of less healthy tooth structure than treatments like dental crowns. If you’re ever not sure whether dental veneers are right for you, feel free to schedule a consultation with Dr. Tomasik! He’s always happy to discuss potential treatments and offer advice based on your treatment needs and wants. He’s also happy to show you before and after photos of the treatments you’re considering so that you have a better idea of what to expect.

What can you expect with the placement of veneers?

Even if you’ve decided that dental veneers are right for you, knowing exactly what to expect from veneer placement can bring peace of mind about your upcoming procedure.

Veneers usually take two appointments.

One of the biggest things people are curious about when it comes to veneers placement is what to expect from the process itself. Getting veneers generally takes a couple of visits to your dentist because your permanent veneers are usually crafted by professionals in an outside lab, then sent to our office so we can place them. During your first procedure, Dr. Tomasik will numb your mouth using a localized anesthetic to ensure that you won’t feel any pain or discomfort. He’ll then gently shape the teeth that will be receiving veneers by shaving off a little bit of enamel from the front and side of each tooth.This step prevents your teeth from looking and feeling too thick once your veneers are secured onto them, so it’s an essential step that helps them look completely natural. Once your teeth are prepared, Dr. Tomasik will take an impression of your teeth to send to the outside lab, where it will be used to craft your custom-made veneers. He’ll place temporary veneers on your teeth and you’ll be able to go home.Once your permanent veneers arrive at our office, which usually takes about two weeks, you’ll be able to return to our office so that Dr. Tomasik can place them. This second procedure is an incredibly simple process. Dr. Tomasik will simply numb the area again, remove your temporary veneers, and replace them with your permanent ones. He’ll check your bite and ensure that you love the way they look before he completely cements them in place, and then your new smile is complete! You’re free to leave our office with the smile of your dreams.

You can expect minor soreness afterward.

Dental veneers are relatively noninvasive, but like any dental work, there will be a slight healing process afterward. You’ll likely notice some tooth sensitivity or soreness around your teeth and gums for a few days to a week after your procedure, but it should be mild. Most people don’t even need to take anything for this discomfort, but if you need to, you should be able to manage it easily with over-the-counter pain medications. While your teeth are sore, you may want to stick to softer foods to avoid making it worse. Otherwise, you shouldn’t have to make a lot of changes to your daily routine in the days following your procedure beyond ensuring that you’re practicing great oral hygiene. That said, it’s important to realize that you may need to change a few habits after you get veneers to help ensure they last and stay beautiful as long as possible.Aside from this, the biggest difference you’ll likely notice after receiving dental veneers is that they may feel strange to you at first. This is because you’ve spent your entire life used to the shape and size of your teeth before veneers, so you’ll just need a little bit of time to adjust to the way your new teeth feel. After about two weeks, though, most people don’t notice their veneers at all anymore—they feel just as natural as their teeth did before!

You can expect to have a smile you’ll absolutely love and feel confident in.

Your porcelain veneers are designed and crafted just for you, and you get plenty of input along the way. You’ll work with Dr. Tomasik to choose the size, shape, and shade of your veneers to complement your facial features and fit your vision of an ideal smile. Plus, porcelain mimics natural teeth incredibly well in both shade and gloss, so no one will be able to tell that you have veneers.The result will be the smile of your dreams—one that looks completely natural and is uniquely yours! No one else will have a smile quite like yours. You’ll absolutely love the way it looks, which will help you feel confident. You’ll once again—or maybe for the first time—be able to experience the simple joy that comes with sharing your smile with the people around you.Porcelain veneers are a simple way to transform your smile into one that you’ll love for years to come, giving you newfound confidence. Even better, when you take care of veneers, they’ll be able to keep your smile beautiful for 10 years or more before they need to be replaced!If you’d like to learn more about what to expect with veneers or want to ensure you choose the best dentist for your veneers placement, feel free to schedule a consultation with Dr. Tomasik at any time.