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care for the whole family
Veneers are shells made of porcelain that mask aesthetic imperfections and create the appearance of beautifully symmetrical teeth. Veneers can be used to cover up discoloration, fill in gaps, cover up chips or cracks, and change the overall appearance of the teeth.
Maybe you have teeth that are too sharp, small, or jagged. With veneers, you can have the perfectly straight, stainless teeth you’ve always dreamed of. They look incredibly natural, are stain-resistant, and are highly durable.
At your consultation, your Colorado Springs dentist will perform an oral exam to check for tooth decay and gum disease. If you have active oral health issues, these will need to be dealt with first. We can determine your eligibility for veneers based on the health of your teeth, your lifestyle, and the cosmetic issues you have with your teeth.
Once we have received your veneers back from the dental lab, you will come in for another appointment. We will check the fit and appearance of the veneers and if everything checks out, we can bond them. Your teeth need to be etched first with an acidic solution that roughens the surface of your teeth. Then, dental cement is applied to the veneer and attached to your tooth. UV light cures the cement so it hardens onto your tooth.
Next, we will need to file down ½ mm of enamel from your tooth. This is proportional to the thickness of the veneer and ensures that it will not stick out. A local anesthetic will be administered before we do any drilling. After we file down your teeth, we will take impressions to send to the dental lab that creates your veneers. They will use your impressions as a model for your veneers so they look natural. It usually takes a few weeks for your veneers to be created. In the meantime, you will wear temporary veneers.
We offer a variety of orthodontic services for kids. This includes space maintainers, which are used to maintain the proper gap in your child’s smile if they lose a baby tooth too early. We also provide Invisalign treatment for older kids and teens as an alternative to traditional braces.
Yes, you will always be the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to your cosmetic treatment plan and this includes the design and shade of your veneers. However, we are here to help answer any of your questions and use our expertise to give you advice, should you choose to take it or not.
We will use a shade guide that lists many different shades for veneers and we will hold it up next to your teeth for color matching. This is one way to decide on the right shade for your veneers – to match them to the rest of your teeth.
However, if you’re getting veneers to cover up discoloration, you will want to select something a little lighter. You will need to consider how many veneers you are getting. If you’re covering all of the top teeth, then you can select a lighter shade.
However, if you’re only getting one or two veneers, then they shouldn’t be too mismatched from the shade of your other teeth. We may recommend that you have your natural teeth whitened before placing veneers so you can match the veneer shade to the whitened teeth.
Another tip is to consider your skin color and the shade of the whites of your eyes. The lighter your skin and the brighter the whites of your eyes, the lighter you can go with your veneers. However, think carefully before selecting the whitest shade. You don’t want your teeth to look artificially white, which will look unnatural.
This is up to personal preference and depends on what your reason for getting veneers is. If you want to correct overall discoloration or teeth that are too small, then you may want to cover all of the visible top teeth.
If you just have one tooth with a chip or that is awkwardly shaped compared to the rest of your teeth, then you may only want one veneer. You should also consider how many of your teeth are visible when you smile.
Some people show fewer teeth than others. While one patient may only need 6 veneers on the top arch, others may need 8. While veneers are usually only placed on the top teeth, some patients choose to get their bottom front teeth covered as well, especially if they show when you smile.
No, the veneer placement process is not painful. We administer a local anesthetic before removing any of your enamel. This numbs your mouth so you don’t feel any pain.
Dental sedation in the form of laughing gas and oral conscious sedation is also available to relax you, melt away feelings of stress and anxiety, and relieve pain sensation in those with low pain tolerances. To find out if you’re a good candidate for sedation, contact us at Tuttle Family Dentistry today to schedule a consultation.
Interested in veneers? Contact us at Tuttle Family Dentistry today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Robert Colt or Dr. Brian Tuttle.
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