Dental Veneers

The veneering treatment process typically requires 3 appointments—consultation, preparation and actual treatment (bonding). One or more teeth can simultaneously undergo the process as described below.

• Consultation: Visiting a dentist and inquiring about veneers is the very first step in determining if veneer(s) is the right option for you and if there are alternative solutions available.
• Preparation: Before the veneers can be placed, your dentist will remove about 0.5-0.7 mm of dental material from the front of your teeth, which is an amount similar to the thickness of the veneers to be added, so that the teeth remains the same size. You and your dentist will decide the need for a local anesthesia (injection) to numb the area, but often this is not needed.

The dentist may take X-ray and an impression (mold) of your teeth, and take to a dental laboratory to custom make your veneers. The color of the surrounding teeth is matched on a shade guide to ensure that the veneers look similar. Additionally, s/he may possibly make a mock-up to allow you to “try on” the veneers to see if the ultimate result is what you’re after. Typically, it takes 2-4 weeks for them to be ready, and during this waiting time, temporary veneers are placed on the prepared surface.

• Bonding: Prior to cementing the dental veneer permanently on your teeth, it will first be cleaned, polished, and etched to roughen it so that it can strongly bond to the target teeth. Your dentist will then coat the teeth with an adhesive agent, spread dental cement over the back of the veneers and firmly place it on the surface of the teeth. Once correctly positioned, s/he will use a curing light to harden the cement. Finally, the dentist will remove any excess cement, evaluate your bite and make final adjustments as needed. For a successful process, you are required to make follow-up visits, a week or so after the veneer is fitted, to check and polish it to ensure that you are satisfied.