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Posts for tag: veneers
Some patients have to wait years and go to many dental appointments to get the beautiful smile that they’ve always wanted. If waiting that long simply isn’t an option for you, talk to your dentist about dental veneers. With veneers, you get a big difference in the appearance of your smile with a very small procedure that can be completed in about two or three appointments. Learn more about veneers from your Gillette, WY dentist.
What Is a Veneer?
A veneer is a covering placed over the surface of a tooth to make it look more attractive, whiter and more naturally shaped. It’s commonly made of porcelain, which is a very tough and durable material that resembles natural tooth enamel. The veneer resists staining and fixes a number of common cosmetic problems, including chipping, gaps, and ridges in the teeth.
What Will Happen at the Veneer Appointment?
When it’s clear that veneers can help your smile, the next step is to get your teeth prepared for them. The preparation process involves removing a small amount of tooth enamel from the front of the tooth to make room for the veneer and ensure a proper bond. Since a veneer is as thin as a contact lens, less than a millimeter of enamel is removed from the surface of the tooth. The dentist will take an impression of the tooth so that a proper veneer can be made. At the final appointment, the veneer is bonded and shaped to perfection.
How Long Will this New Smile Last?
Veneers are a wonder of cosmetic dentistry not just because they give you a big difference in your smile with a small procedure, but also because they are long-lasting. Once a porcelain veneer is bonded, it can last for as long as 20 years—maybe even longer. It’s important to treat your veneers with as much TLC as your other teeth to keep them looking great for as long as possible.
How Do You Care for Veneers?
The veneer has a strong bond to your tooth, but you have to keep it clean and free from plaque buildup to ensure its ongoing health and resilience. Brush around all surfaces of the tooth and floss between the teeth daily. Avoid biting hot foods (or drinking hot beverages) with your veneers as much as possible and drink less sugary beverages. One of the most important things to remember after you get veneers is to keep up with twice-yearly appointments for cleanings and checkups.
Contact your Gillette, WY Dentist
Veneers can give your smile a makeover that you never imagined was possible, and it only takes one small dental procedure to make a big difference. Call your Gillette, WY dentist for a veneers appointment today.

What's an actor's most important feature? According to Vivica A. Fox, whose most recent big-screen role was in Independence Day: Resurgence, it's what you see right up front.
"On screen, your smile and your eyes are the most inviting things that bring the audience in" she said. "Especially if you play the hot chick."
But like lots of people, Vivica reached a point where she felt her smile needed a little help in order to look its best. That's when she turned to a popular cosmetic dental treatment.
"I got veneers years ago," Ms. Fox told Dear Doctor magazine in a recent interview, "just because I had some gapping that probably only I noticed."
What exactly are dental veneers? Essentially, they are thin shells of lustrous porcelain that are permanently attached to the front surfaces of the teeth. Tough, lifelike and stain-resistant, they can cover up a number of defects in your smile — including stains, chips, cracks, and even minor spacing irregularities like the ones Vivica had.
Veneers have become the treatment of choice for Hollywood celebs — and lots of regular folks too — for many reasons. Unlike some treatments that can take many months, it takes just a few appointments to have veneers placed on your teeth. Because they are custom made just for you, they allow you to decide how bright you want your smile to be: anywhere from a natural pearly hue to a brilliant "Hollywood white." Best of all, they are easy to maintain, and can last for many years with only routine care.
To place traditional veneers, it's necessary to prepare the tooth by removing a small amount (a millimeter or two) of its enamel surface. This keeps it from feeling too big — but it also means the treatment can't be reversed, so once you get veneers, you'll always have them. In certain situations, "no-prep" or minimal-prep veneers, which require little or no removal of tooth enamel, may be an option for some people.
Veneers aren't the only way to create a better smile: Teeth whitening, crowns or orthodontic work may also be an alternative. But for many, veneers are the preferred option. What does Vivica think of hers?
"I love my veneers!" she declared, noting that they have held up well for over a decade.
For more information about veneers, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.

If you are unhappy with your smile or the way some of your teeth appear, porcelain veneers may be the solution to your concerns. They are a fast, effective, and well-proven method for cosmetically enhancing your smile — and a secret that Hollywood and other celebrities have been taking advantage of for years. To help you determine if they are right for you, here are some questions we typically receive.
What is a veneer?
A veneer is a custom made thin “shell” or thin layer of a dental ceramic material (usually porcelain) used to replace the front, visible surface of the tooth. They are artistically and hand-crafted using a precise model of your mouth and teeth to achieve a natural look.
What can they do for me?
Veneers are the optimal choice for correcting small to medium gaps between teeth; slight rotations of teeth causing them to be misaligned; oddly shaped, chipped, or “short” teeth; as well as teeth that are discolored or unevenly colored. However, veneers have their limitations, too. They cannot correct bite issues, poor tooth position, or profile issues. It is also important to note that if you have this procedure, we will typically need to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate the veneer and produce dramatic improvements to your smile.
How long will they last?
While they can vary widely from person to person, porcelain veneers usually last from 7 to 20 years. Factors that impact this timeline include your oral hygiene habits, diet, lifestyle, as well as how well you protect your veneers during sleep and while playing sports.
Have more questions?
Contact us today to discuss your questions or to schedule an appointment. You can also learn more about veneers by reading the Dear Doctor article, “Smile Design Enhanced With Porcelain Veneers.”

With its life-like color and texture, dental porcelain can restore a smile marred by decayed or damaged teeth. This durable ceramic material not only matches the varieties of individual tooth colors and hues, its translucence mimics the appearance of natural teeth. But perhaps its greatest benefit is its adaptability for use in a number of different applications, particularly veneers and crowns.
Veneers are thin layers of dental porcelain laminated together and permanently bonded to cover the visible outer side of a tooth to improve its appearance. Crowns, on the other hand, are “caps” of dental porcelain designed to completely cover a defective tooth.
Veneers and crowns share a number of similarities. Both can alter the color and shape of teeth, although crowns are used when more extensive tooth structure has been damaged. They’re also “irreversible,” meaning the tooth must be altered in such a way that it will always require a veneer or crown, though on some occasions a veneer can require no removal of tooth structure and can be reversible.
They do, however, have some differences as to the type of situation they address. Veneers are generally used where the affected teeth have a poor appearance (chipped, malformed or stained, for example) but are still structurally healthy. And although they do generally require some removal of tooth enamel to accommodate them (to minimize a “bulky” appearance), the reduction is much less than for a crown.
Crowns, on the other hand, restore teeth that have lost significant structure from disease, injury, stress-related grinding habits or the wearing effects of aging. Since they must contain enough mass to stand up to the normal biting forces a tooth must endure, a significant amount of the original tooth structure must be removed to accommodate them.
Which application we use will depend upon a thorough examination of your teeth. Once we’ve determined their condition and what you need, we can then recommend the best application for your situation. But regardless of whether we install a veneer or crown, using dental porcelain can help achieve an end result that’s truly life-changing — a new, younger-looking smile.
If you would like more information on dental porcelain restorations, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Porcelain Crowns & Veneers.”