Non-Cosmetic Reasons to Consider Veneers

You might associate dental veneers with the bright, white, picture-perfect smiles you see on your favorite celebrities and TV personalities, but dental veneers do more than enhance your appearance. At Center for Advanced Dentistry, located in San Jose, California, our team provides dental veneers to repair and protect teeth as well as create gorgeous smiles.

Veneers can protect your teeth from the bacteria that eat away at them, causing tooth decay and gum disease. The custom-made porcelain shells cover and protect dental problems that allow bacteria to get into the interior of your tooth, where it can cause severe damage. For example, we might recommend dental veneers to repair conditions including:

Superficial cracks

If you have a tiny surface crack in the enamel of your teeth, you can’t keep it clean enough to prevent bacteria from getting into your tooth. In fact, you might not even notice a tiny crack in a tooth.

However, if we find a superficial crack or another breach in your tooth enamel during a routine exam, we let you know and discuss your treatment options with you. Depending on the location, size, and severity of the crack, we may recommend a dental veneer to cover your tooth, seal the crack, and prevent bacteria from reaching the inside of your tooth.

Damaged enamel

Tooth enamel is incredibly strong and durable, but over time it can become thin. For example, if you brush vigorously with an abrasive toothpaste or if you eat a lot of foods that are high in acid, your enamel can weaken and wear away.

Your tooth enamel is your first defense against the bacteria that cause tooth decay. If your enamel is thin, your risk of cavities and deeper, internal tooth decay increases.

Here at Center for Advanced Dentistry, we’re committed to preventive dental care. If dental veneers are the best way to restore your tooth enamel and add protection to your teeth, we will suggest the treatment.

Gaps

Bacteria love to hide in the narrow spaces between your teeth. If you have space between your teeth, it’s easier for food to get trapped and provide a feast for bacteria. When this happens, the bacteria on your teeth multiply rapidly, causing plaque and tartar to build up. Plaque and tartar create a shield for bacteria to hide behind so they can eat away at your teeth and gums, even if you brush and floss.

Veneers can fill in the gaps between your teeth, eliminating the extra space and reducing your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

What to expect when you get veneers

In most cases, we install veneers in just two visits. During your first appointment, we examine your teeth to ensure that veneers are the right treatment for you. Then, we prepare your teeth for veneers by removing a thin layer of your enamel. While this sounds scary, it’s not painful and allows us to fit your veneers snugly against your teeth for a smooth, natural appearance. Also, we provide temporary veneers to protect your teeth while your permanent veneers are custom-made to fit your teeth precisely.

At your second appointment, we place your veneers on your teeth. We check your bite and the fit of the veneers before permanently bonding them to your teeth.

Are veneers the right treatment for you?

We offer comprehensive dental consultations to identify the best treatments to protect and preserve your dental health. Also, with years of experience and training, our team knows which treatments are likely to deliver the results you want.

If you want to protect your teeth, schedule an appointment with our team here at Center for Advanced Dentistry. We’re committed to helping you have a beautiful, healthy smile. Give us a call or book online today.