Dental veneers are bonded to the front of the teeth in order to change their appearance. They can make gaps appear smaller, change the color of the teeth, adjust the look of the size of the teeth to make them appear more normal in both width and length. They can be made of either porcelain, the most common, or resin composite materials. Porcelain seems to reflect light more like a natural tooth and that is why it is used more often.

If your teeth are worn, chipped, discolored, not quite in alignment but not necessarily bad enough for braces, or if the tooth has an abnormal shape such as grooves or bulges, veneers can help you achieve that movie star smile quicker than going through multiple treatments or braces.

If you choose to get veneers on your teeth, be aware that it will take three trips before you are finished. The first trip is just a consultation to go over what needs to be done and what the costs are going to be. Your teeth will be examined at this point and a plan will be established if veneers are found to be a good choice for you.

The second trip to the dentist is to prepare the teeth for the veneers, and to measure them. It will take anywhere from two to three weeks for the veneers to be completed before you go back to the dentist for application. During this visit, the dentist may need to numb you with a local anesthetic as he removes part of the enamel off the teeth in order to measure a proper fit.

The third and final visit is the actual application of the veneers. The dentist will clean and etch the teeth before applying the veneers so they will stay on firmly for many years. Once he has adjusted the fit and color, he cements the veneer to the tooth. A special light is then used to cause a chemical reaction in the cement that will make it bond permanently to the tooth. A quick cleaning to remove all spare cement and make sure your bite is still good and you are set to go. Your dentist will want to see you in a couple of weeks just to check your gums and make sure everything is as it should be.

Veneers are a relatively quick process to having a beautiful smile. They can repair years of cosmetic damage to give you nice, white, even teeth.