A beautiful smile has always been something people pride themselves on, and something others admire. Even stretching back into the centuries, well cared for teeth were a symbol of health and wealth. Today,taking care of our teeth is much easier, we can achieve those indications of beauty with little effort. Because of this, the standard for smiles has risen accordingly. In an era of picture-perfect models and actors, perfect teeth seem to be the standard we’re all reaching for.
Achieving a perfect smile requires more than just your routine dental care; whether you turn to whitening procedures or had braces in youth, these are all new ways we’ve stepped up our dental standards. If you never had braces, you might have some teeth that are a bit crooked, or perhaps damage left you with a less than perfect knick on one of your teeth. Whatever your reason, veneers are one tool people turn to for the perfect smile. Here is what to know before you opt for veneers.
- Free Consultation: Any place you’re looking for veneers should offer a free consultation where they’ll teach you about the procedure and address your specific concerns and desired outcome. If a place doesn’t offer a free consultation for veneers, don’t go. This is a pricey and major procedure—any legitimately trustworthy business will want you to feel as informed and prepared as possible with no obstacles to getting there.
- What Are Veneers: When you get veneers, you’re having porcelain covers attached to the front of your teeth. Think of them as a decorative phone case; you place your desired dental appearance on top of your current teeth, except this phone case can never come off, as they drill your teeth down to allow for the adhesion of the veneers to them.
- It’s Irreversible: Make sure you know what you want; after getting veneers, there’s no going back, as your teeth must be filed down before veneers are implanted. There are some risks to the procedure, including dental and nerve damage. You’ll also likely have to replace your veneers eventually after around 15 years, as they are not permanent.
- Consider Your Options: Aside from the traditional veneers that require teeth to be shaved down, there are other options of veneers that offer a no shave option. One brand of prepless veneers called “Lumineers” are made of an extremely thin layer of porcelain that does not require teeth to be shaved down, and sit right on top of your teeth like traditional veneers.
Veneers are a good option if you have serious dental damage or significant cosmetic issues that are worth the high cost and trouble of solving through veneers. Unfortunately, for most people seeking a Hollywood smile, veneers can often be more trouble than they’re worth.