Do you want to improve your smile? Are you afraid that your teeth will be shaved down to nubs? We all have that coworker who’s front crown came out at lunch and was horrified to see the little stick that was left of their tooth. This sight would be enough to deter even those with the strongest stomach from getting veneers!
Luckily, techniques and materials have greatly improved, so this type of shaving is no longer necessary. Did you know that veneers can be made as thin as a contact lens? This means that the shaving of your teeth is very minimal- and sometimes not needed at all!
The biggest factor when determining how much needs to be removed from your teeth is how out of alignment they are. We could just blob on a bunch of porcelain until they appear straight, but that wouldn’t look very natural. It would feel very foreign to your mouth, and would probably affect the way you speak- not the gorgeous result you want.
Another factor is how much you want to change the color. High-end porcelains can change you tooth one shade per every 0.3 millimeters that they are thick. This is incredibly thin- about the thickness of a contact lens! If you’re looking to whiten your teeth by 3 shades, you’ll need 0.9 millimeters of thickness for the porcelain veneer. That’s not to say 0.9 millimeters needs to be shaved from your tooth. If your lip is comfortable with a little extra volume, a little can be shaved and a little can be added.
This process is always preplanned and designed with you. Veneers are broken down into 3 visits.
1. The Consultation. On this first visit, we discuss your personal goals. Do you want your teeth whiter? Straighter? Do you want to fix chips? Do you want your teeth to fill your smile more? It’s also helpful to see photos of what you consider to be a “perfect smile”. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and your opinion is the only one that matters! Once I know what you’d like to achieve, I take photos and molds of your teeth to use in designing your smile.
2. The Starting Visit. Now the models of your teeth have been altered to show a proposal of what will look best for your facial structure. I transfer this proposal on to your teeth before doing any shaving at all so that you can “preview” what your new smile will look like. If you’re happy with your appearance, we take of the temporary trial-smile, do the minimal shaving, take new molds, and put your trial-smile back on as temporaries. If there’s anything you want to alter about your trial-smile, I do it right then and there. I take new photos and molds of the temporaries so that what you and I have customized will now be recreated in porcelain.
3. Receiving Your New Veneers. At this visit, we take off your temporaries, and bond on your new porcelain veneers. We also take our final photos so we can show you your before and after!
The process is simple. I design a bespoke smile using your desired result. With the minimum possible shaving, you have your new smile a few weeks later! The days of grinding down you teeth to practically nothing are long gone. A true cosmetic dentist who’s pursued training in the art of porcelain veneers will always go for minimal shaving with maximum effect!
