What Happens During the Veneers Process?

If you have ever felt self-conscious about your smile, you owe it to yourself to ask our Holland dentist about the veneers procedure. Veneers are wafer-thin porcelain shells adhered to the fronts of your teeth that show when you smile or talk.

Many of our patients at Macatawa Smiles report having better confidence after restoring their smiles with dental veneers.

Here’s what you need to know.

Am I a Candidate for Veneers?

You may be a candidate for dental veneers if you have small chips, cracks, and other minor imperfections in front teeth. Veneers are also great for patients who have stains on their teeth that don’t respond to whitening. Our dentist would only have to remove a thin layer from the fronts of your teeth to make room for the veneers. This is much less invasive than how we prepare teeth for dental crowns or other restorations.

Consultation with Cosmetic Dentist

The first step of any smile makeover is to schedule a consultation with our cosmetic dentist. During your consultation, our dentist will be able to determine if you are a candidate for front teeth veneers.

Veneers are able to correct:

In some cases, veneers may not be an option to fix your smile. While porcelain veneers are perfect for chipped tooth repair, our cosmetic dentist may recommend a dental crown for a tooth made fragile after a large filling. The goal of cosmetic dentistry is always to find the best way to restore your smile. For this reason, our dentist may take impressions of your teeth or take dental x-rays to determine the right treatment plan for your smile. Check out our blog post on the 5 benefits of porcelain veneers.

Teeth are Prepped for Veneers

During your first appointment, our dentist will prepare the fronts of the receiving teeth for veneers. Since veneers are bonded to the fronts of your teeth, our dentist will need to remove enough enamel so your teeth don’t look big and bulky. While most of our patients don’t need local anesthesia for this step, you should let our dentist know if you experience any dental pain or discomfort.

After enough enamel has been removed, our dentist will take dental impressions that will be sent to the lab that will be making your veneers. Your dental veneers should be ready in about one to two weeks. In the meantime, our dentist will put temporary veneers over your teeth.

Veneers are Bonded to Fronts of Teeth

When you come back for the next stage of the veneers process, our dentist will check the size, shape, and color of your new veneers. Don’t be worried if our dentist needs to make slight adjustments to the fit of the porcelain veneers. This is a normal part of the process that ensures your veneers will fit perfectly to the contours of your teeth. Our dentist will also make sure that the color of your veneers matches your natural tooth enamel.

Next, our dentist will clean, polish, and etch the fronts of your receiving teeth. This is done so your teeth create a strong bond with the veneers. Our dentist will use a special dental cement to bond the cosmetic veneers to the fronts of your teeth. As a final step, our dentist will check your bite before sending you home with your new smile.

Learn More About the Veneers Procedure

Dr. Brenton Habecker at Macatawa Smiles is dedicated to helping patients achieve their best smiles. If you are interested in learning more about any of our dental treatments or scheduling an appointment with our cosmetic dentist in Holland, MI, call our office at (616) 396-7524.

This blog post has been updated.