Dental Veneers

Correcting cracked and stained teeth in Ipswich

Another popular cosmetic dental procedure available at Foxhall Dental Surgery is dental veneers.

Dental veneers can be used for a number of issues and are especially used for those whose teeth are too badly discoloured to fully benefit from a teeth whitening procedure, or have teeth that are excessively chipped or cracked, spoiling their appearance.

They can also be used for minor orthodontic issues where dental braces would not be appropriate and can, in some cases, be used for closure of any gaps between the visible front teeth.

What are Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers are a fine layer of porcelain which is shaped to fit the front of a person’s prepared tooth and are fitted in a similar manner to which a false fingernail is fitted. Following your consultation at our Ipswich dental practice, a shade of white can be chosen which will enable the new dental veneers to blend in well with your own natural teeth.

The procedure

Once it has been decided to fit dental veneers, a local anaesthetic will given to minimise any possible discomfort that you may feel during the procedure. A very fine layer will then be removed from the front of the teeth that are to receive the dental veneers using a special tool called a dental burr.

Once the teeth have been prepared in this manner, impressions and scans are taken of the teeth and these are then sent to a dental laboratory in order for the dental veneers to be produced.

The production time for dental veneers is usually around one week and, during this time, temporary veneers will be fitted in order to protect the exposed front surface of the prepared teeth.

Once the veneers have been produced and have been received at our dental practice, you will be recalled to our clinic for fitting. This involves simply fixing the veneers to the prepared teeth using strong dental cement. Once fitted, the new veneers will then be precisely trimmed and polished to produce beautiful new white teeth.

Aftercare

Although dental veneers offer a good level of strength, if mistreated they can become detached. To avoid this happening, it is advisable not to chew pens or bite down on fingernails or other hard items as this will increase the risk of this happening.

Although the porcelain itself cannot decay, care should still be taken in cleaning the teeth on a regular basis to prevent any possible occurrence of gingivitis (gum disease).

Providing that reasonable care is taken with regular brushing and flossing, your dental veneers can last for many years, giving you a superb, white and appealing smile!