A beautiful smile can do great things for your confidence and happiness, and as it’s often the first thing others notice about you, it can influence a first impression or meeting. Suppose you’re dissatisfied with certain elements of your smile – veneers can conceal these imperfections and deliver a natural result that others won’t recognise as anything other than an actual tooth.
What is a Veneer?
To start, let’s define and outline what veneers are and highlight some of their properties. Veneers are bespoke and created to fit snugly over the front surface of a tooth, much like a false nail slides over a real nail to improve its appearance. They’re crafted from beautiful wafer-thin pieces of porcelain, shaped to fit the aesthetics of your smile, and can be classed as both restorative and cosmetic.
The Glamorous Origins of Veneers
Today, veneers last for up to 15 years (with the correct care) though this was not always the case. The first veneers were designed for actors in Hollywood during the 1940s, many of whom would look glamorous right up until they opened their mouths to smile! By bonding veneers to unsightly teeth, actors could have temporary camera-ready smiles. Since then, veneers have come a long way. Today, we use a strong adhesive to ensure they stay firmly bonded in place when you chew, eat and speak — while the use of porcelain means they look almost identical to a real tooth.
The Uses of Veneers
Veneers can address a myriad of issues, including:
Closing gaps in your smile
veneers can be used as a standalone treatment to close small gaps in your teeth and to move a tooth that’s marginally out of position, resulting in a more evenly structured and uniform smile.
Repair cracks
veneers fit over the top of a tooth that’s cracked, with the thicker part of it replacing the damaged area to conceal it effectively.
Discolouration
while teeth whitening is favoured for uniformly whitening all the teeth that make up your smile, veneers can be used to whiten individual teeth. A single tooth can become discoloured after procedures like root canal treatment and fillings, and thanks to veneers, it’s possible to target these individual teeth and improve their appearance.
Improve the shape of a tooth
veneers can be carefully shaped to provide restoration for a tooth that has become worn or chipped.
The Veneers Process: What to Expect
Veneers treatment at our Limerick dental practice generally takes 2 or 3 visits. Here are the steps involved in this restorative and cosmetic dental treatment:
- Step 1 — Assessment: during your first appointment with us, we will ask you about the aspects of your smile you dislike to establish whether veneers are the best choice of treatment for you. Depending on your unique case, we may suggest composite bonding or a crown as alternatives to veneers.
- Step 2 — Preparation of your tooth: the preparation stage is an essential part of the veneers process. Here at our Limerick dental practice, our team is highly proficient in carefully shaving your tooth enamel so that the tooth in question can accommodate the thickness of your new veneer – we may give you an anaesthetic at this stage of treatment. This preparation will ensure the shape of the restoration is an optimal match among your existing teeth. Your tooth shade is also noted, which is another factor that informs the design of your new veneer.
- Step 3 — Temporary veneer: whilst your permanent veneer is being made by the dental technician, we may fit you with a temporary veneer to wear in the 1-2 weeks before we receive it back at the practice.
- Step 4 — Fitting appointment: we can invite you back to the practice for a fitting appointment, bonding the veneer securely over the affected tooth using a strong adhesive material. One of the great things about veneers is that they don’t require any special care, so you can look after them just as you would any other tooth.
Bespoke Porcelain Veneers at Shields
We take great pride in crafting veneers our patients can be proud of, and they have the potential to transform your smile. We make our veneers from porcelain, a highly aesthetic material that lends itself exceptionally well to restoring teeth. This is because porcelain shares some of the same characteristics as real tooth enamel, which is translucent and uniquely reflects light.
Restoring Your Smile Post-Lockdown
Many of us have spent a lot of hours on Zoom over the past 12 months. With this comes the inevitable opportunity to scrutinise our smiles in meetings and on calls to friends and family. This may have left you feeling more conscious of the aspects of your smile you dislike than before, and if this sounds familiar, veneers may be the answer. As we start to socialise again and restrictions come to a (hopefully permanent) end, investing in your smile could potentially give you the rejuvenated confidence you’re looking for. Especially in all those photos with friends, family and colleagues on back-dated special occasions!
Are There Alternative Treatments to Veneers?
Here at Shields, we offer composite bonding, which isn’t as long-lasting as veneers but is more cost-effective and doesn’t require as much removal of your tooth enamel as is the case with veneers. During your appointment with us, we will talk you through the benefits of both composite bonding and veneers and advise on which we feel would best suit your needs, but the final decision is always your own.
How Much are Veneers in Roscrea?
Porcelain veneers at our Roscrea dental practice are priced at €925-€1000 and you can view our full list of fees here. We also offer a maintenance scheme if you’re looking for a Limerick dentist. Our plans start from as little as €18.29 per month for adults, €6.53 for children and €9.90 for students.
Are you interested in finding out more about veneers in Roscrea? There are several ways you can get in touch with our friendly team, who will book you in for an appointment with us here at Shields Dental & Orthodontic Clinic.
We offer free, no-obligation video consultations during which patients can find out all they need to know about our treatment options. Our friendly reception team can answer any questions you may have about this. All you have to do is pick up the phone!
