Porcelain Veneers: Affordable Luxury

Maybe you’ve longed to improve your smile’s appearance, but you’ve held back out of concern for the cost involved. If so, you should consider porcelain veneers. These thin, tooth-shaped shells can give you a Hollywood-quality smile to patients who make much less money than movie stars.

Collin County dentists may use veneers to address problems ranging from minor chips, cracks or stains in the teeth to slight misalignments. Veneers can give patients a more beautiful smile in a matter of weeks, while braces would take months to achieve the same effect. Similarly, veneers are more conservative than crowns in terms of the amount of tooth material that needs to be removed to accommodate them.

The process of getting veneers generally takes place over the course of two appointments. The dentist collects the data needed to create the veneers and preps the teeth for their placement at the first visit. When the veneers are ready, in most cases a few weeks later, the patient returns to the office to have the devices bonded to the teeth.

Your dentist will work closely with you to make sure that the veneers meet your expectations. Because they are made of porcelain, which has optical qualities similar to biological tooth enamel, the veneers have a remarkably lifelike appearance. The veneers can be designed to match the natural shade of your teeth, and the dentist can adjust them further to your liking before they are permanently bonded to the teeth.

Veneers are quite durable, lasting up to a decade if you follow your dentist’s instructions for their care. Patients should also use common sense and avoid chewing on hard objects, like pencils or ice, to protect their veneers.

The cost of veneers does range, depending on the complexity of the issue being addressed and other circumstances unique to each patient. Ask your dentist for an estimated cost of treatment.

Explore veneers as an affordable treatment to improve your smile, and ask your dentist about financing options to make the devices even more budget-friendly.