The Truth Behind Dental Veneer Myths

Are your teeth very yellow or feel like they are the wrong shape? Do you wish that your teeth had a completely different look to them? You may be under the impression that the only way to get "perfect" teeth is to eventually have dentures or other false teeth put in, but that's simply not true. Having veneers added can be a great way to get the look that you want. If you've heard of veneers before and dismissed them, it may have been because you had heard something that was incorrect. The truth behind several common myths or misunderstandings are detailed below:

Veneers are unnaturally white: When veneers were first used in dentistry, it's true that they were often a brilliant white that didn't always match well with the surrounding teeth. Fortunately, modern veneers are different. The dentist is able to use a variety of tools to judge the color of your teeth and to make sure that the veneer porcelain matches all of the others. Even if your teeth are slightly yellow because you smoke or drink coffee, your dentist will be able to make sure that your veneers are the correct color to match them.

Veneers are too brittle: Again, when veneers were first introduced, some of them may have been brittle. However, the methods for making veneers have improved vastly over the years so that modern veneers are at least as strong as your normal teeth. Depending on the veneers that you get, the individual veneers may actually be stronger than your teeth. No matter what kind you get, you shouldn't have to worry about your veneers becoming damaged due to normal daily use. It's also possible for a veneer to come off of the tooth, but the adhesive used is very strong so that shouldn't happen for many years.

The dentist needs to file down your teeth: This is partially true, but not to the extent that many people imagine. While it is true that the dentist will have to reshape your tooth slightly so that the veneers can be applied, the amount of shaping that needs to be done is very minimal. Unlike a dental crown, which caps the tooth, a veneer is an extremely thin piece of porcelain that has been shaped to look like a tooth. Depending on the current shape of your teeth, your dentist may only need to roughen the surface of your teeth so that the veneer can be applied. 

If you are considering veneers and have more questions, talk to a dentist like those at the Leidenheimer Dental Group Inc.