The ultimate purpose of veneers is to improve the outer appearance of your teeth by adjusting the shape, size, and colour of your teeth, making your smile more aesthetically pleasing. Veneers can be used to treat the visual aspect of the following cosmetic shortcomings:
Although veneers come at a price, you can look forward to a permanent solution to all the problems listed above because dentures have a life expectancy of 1o to 25 years before they require replacement. In addition to the impressive durability of veneers, they are stain-resistant so you don’t have to worry about your pearly
Veneers combine a range of benefits, replicating the effect that treatments such as dental crowns, teeth whitening, and braces have on the teeth. If you’re satisfied with the shape of your teeth and aren’t missing any but are looking for some sort of cosmetic improvement, whiter teeth may be the solution.
Another example could be that you are content with the colour of your teeth and all you want is it fix the chip in your front tooth. Below we have categorised the various qualities of veneers and listed the various alternatives categorically.
Achieving the ideal white is not as simple as requesting the lightest shade of white you can get. The colour of your teeth prior to whitening and your skin tone will also dramatically impact which shade of white is ideal for you.
This treatment is defined as the process of lightening the teeth by modifying the intrinsic or extrinsic colour of the enamel with specialised dental bleaching products.
The shade B1 is considered the lightest naturally occurring tooth colour, however, if you have significantly darker teeth at present or wish to dull it down slightly then opting for an A1 tooth shade may be more ideal for you.
For those wanting a more dramatic look, they may request an even lighter shade than B1 which can only be achieved by using specialised tooth bleaching products.
In comparison to veneers, however, teeth whitening treatments cannot permanently alter the shade of the teeth as veneers can. The expected duration of whiter teeth after teeth whitening is 6 months to 3 years whereas you can expect whiter anywhere from 10 to 25 years after committing to veneers.
According to most experts, the ideal tooth shape is rectangular, with the height of the tooth being longer than the width of the tooth. This is mostly the case with the central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines. Additionally, the ideal tooth is slightly and evenly rounded on the corners with the teeth all aligning at the corners. Achieving this ‘perfect’ tooth shape without veneers is possible.
Because the idea of the ideal shaped teeth is significantly structured around the front teeth, dental bonding becomes the perfect substitute for veneers in regards to shaping.
In fact, dentists will usually only recommend dental bonding for the front teeth, whether it be for shaping or correcting damage. This is because the front teeth aren’t exposed to harsh biting or chewing like the back teeth are.
The process of dental bonding includes the moulding of medical-grade resin around the tooth, once hardened it is polished and shaped according to your preference.
Shaping of teeth using the dental bonding technique is temporary, however, with the life expectancy ranging from 3 to 10 years depending on how well you take care of your teeth.
Often the most important component of a ‘perfect’ smile is the alignment of your teeth, but did you know that improper tooth alignment can lead to more serious consequences? An example of these consequences is cracked teeth or chronic headaches which are brought on by the damage caused to your teeth as a result of uneven biting and chewing.
Braces are one of the most efficient dental technologies in straightening and realigning teeth. They work by adjusting the tightness between each tooth to guide them into good alignment.
There are a few types of braces to choose from, with the newer types coming in the form of a transparent retainer or ceramic braces that blend into the colour of your teeth.
Depending on the severity of your misaligned teeth, braces may have to stay on for up to 3 years, with most patients having their braces removed between 18 and 24 months.
This is where you will need to weigh up the pros and cons of choosing braces over veneers which can transform your teeth within a matter of 2 treatments which are done within a few days from one another.
Damage to the teeth can occur quickly as a result of biting on particularly hard items or it may progressively worsen as a result of decay which could be caused by the smallest things like fizzy drinks. When it comes to minor damage like chips, dental bonding or veneers could prove to be perfect depending on factors such as the shade of white you’d like your teeth to be. However, deeper or more intense damage to the teeth may require a more intense restoration treatment.
A dental crown, much like a veneer, is a dome-like shaped artificial tooth that is placed on the damaged tooth like a cap to prevent further damage from being done to the tooth as a result of decay or injury.
The crown also helps prevent particular speech or chewing issues that may be associated with painful, broken teeth.
Crowns are usually recommended to people with large fillings, broken or damaged teeth. Crowns can be placed alongside veneers without looking out of place due to the fact that your dentist is able to adjust the colour of your crowns according to the surrounding teeth or veneers.
As depicted above, veneers are really the all-rounders when it comes to teeth transformations. Offering all the qualities you can achieve through multiple technologies such as braces, dental bonding and teeth whitening in a single, quick solution.
Deciding which technology suits you should ultimately come down to how much you are prepared to spend on your teeth transformation and whether or not you can achieve all your teeth goals efficiently with your options of alternatives to veneers.
