Veneers for Teeth - Instant Whitening and Teeth Straightening

Veneers for teeth are said to be similar to a crown. Although most dentists define these as another from of the latter but is slightly different. Cosmetic dentists define veneers as fitted porcelain shells that cover only the surface of the teeth. It is different from a crown because the latter covers the entire body of a tooth. As for a veneer, this covers only the front part of the teeth and is used widely by cosmetic dentists to help patients straighten crooked teeth without the need of using braces. Though it can look like natural teeth, it can prevent the wearer from biting into hard foods, since it is commonly made from porcelain and can be cracked or damaged if not given proper care.

Unlike tooth caps, you don't need to monitor the margins of veneers for teeth for decays. And normally, these can last as long as ten to fifteen years if the wearer properly observes good care and hygiene. To determine if you are a good candidate for veneers, the first thing to do is consult your dentist since not everybody is a candidate for this cosmetic procedure. Veneers are only applicable to patients with healthy teeth who would like to have them straightened. Once your dentist has agreed that you qualified for veneers, you are then scheduled for the procedure that is considered as an easy one. In fitting veneers, the first things that a dentist does are drill and shave the front part of a patient's tooth. They also perform these procedures on the areas between and at the back of the teeth. Once these are done, an impression of the teeth is taken and sent to the dental lab technician who creates the veneers. When the veneers are ready, these are then cemented on the front part of the teeth.

Wearing veneers for teeth would give patients the instant effect of braces and also achieve instant whitening of the teeth. A patient can also pick the shade or color and shape of veneers. Typically, patients can choose whether they want long, short, or boxy veneers. And since these provide instant results, procedure tends to be costly.

The cost depends on a number of factors. One factor is the number of teeth that requires veneer application. Since a veneer can cost $900 to $2500 per tooth, patients can pay up to $12,000 to have an entire mouth fixed. Reputable dentists who perform such procedures may charge a higher fee compared to newbies in the field of cosmetic dentistry. And ceramists who are considered experienced in the field may charge higher in creating the veneers.

Other factors are additional medical procedures needed in fitting the veneers that may include intense teeth cleaning and X-ray. Other patients may require extreme shaping of the teeth, and if the procedure requires close shaving to the roots of the teeth, the dentist may require the patient to undergo root canal procedure which incurs additional cost. Also before a patient decides in having veneers, he must check first if this is covered by their dental insurance. Having porcelain veneers is considered as a cosmetic procedure, therefore it is quite rare to have this procedure covered by a dental insurance.