You work hard to comply with all your dental office directions and recommendations so you can benefit from having a healthy and trouble free smile.  What about if your smile is healthy but does not look its best or natural?  You should inquire about porcelain veneers, crowns, and bonding with your dental office.  Porcelain veneers and bonding are the ideal choices to improve your smile from tooth discrepancies in size, shape, and color due to their simplicity and versatility. 

Dental veneers are custom-designed shells of tooth-like ceramic material (porcelain) that, when applied over the surface of a tooth (usually the whole surface of the tooth), can cover worn tooth enamel, uneven tooth alignment or spacing, and chips or cracks.  Bonding is the application of tooth colored filling materials to the tooth surface (usually a smaller portion of the tooth) to correct minor discrepancies or even out the edges of teeth. 

Dental veneers fall into the category of cosmetic dentistry because they create a bright and natural looking smile with beautifully aligned and shaped teeth.  Even better, the translucent ceramic quality of today's veneers provides a more natural look than what's been available in the past.

Regardless of what causes unattractive teeth, dental veneers may solve most or even all of your cosmetic dental issues including worn enamel (over time the enamel on your teeth may become worn, dulled, or discolored; wear and tear (teeth naturally wear down as people age); genetics (people may be born with conditions that will cause spacing between the teeth that will grow wider as they age); uneven teeth (the result of grinding or general wear and tear).

In addition to being esthetically pleasing, dental veneers can also serve a functional purpose by protecting the surface of a damaged tooth.  In some cases, veneers may replace the need for a dental crown, eliminating the need for more invasive tooth preparation.

Because dental veneers are so thin, they might require little-to-no tooth reshaping when bonded to the tooth.  Once veneers are bonded into place, they become very strong and durable; however, care must be taken so not to abuse veneers because the thin porcelain shells can damage or break.    With proper care, porcelain veneers will enlighten your smile for over 10 to 15 years.  Cosmetic dental treatment can improve your smile and increase your confidence and self-steam.  Do not hesitate to speak to your dentist about your cosmetic concerns.  A brand new smile takes only a couple visits to the office.