Dental Veneers Discoloration, chips, gaps, and other minor cosmetic issues affect many of our patients. Veneers are a popular treatment that works to fix a variety of these issues. We have several different veneer materials available at New Life Dental. We can discuss the options with you as well as give you information about the procedure and maintenance.Veneer MaterialsWe work with both resin and porcelain veneers. Composite resin veneers have a shorter process than porcelain, but they are also more fragile than our porcelain veneers. Composite resin veneers have a lifespan of about five to seven years. Porcelain veneers have a longer process, but our patients prefer these for their durability and appearance. These are fully customized to you, and they have a lifespan of about 10 to 15 years. These materials come in various shades as well, so we can ensure that they look like your natural teeth. We also work with a few different styles of veneers. Palatal veneers, also known as palatal onlays, are what you normally think of when you talk about veneers. These are used for the front teeth. They can become damaged from teeth grinding, decay, and other dental problems, so you will need to take good care of them. Some people prefer removable veneers because they are not as invasive as traditional veneers. You can take them off at your leisure. Veneer Placement ProcedureTraditionally, the veneer process takes three appointments. First, our dentist will discuss your options to determine the best type of veneer. They will provide a visual examination of your teeth and collect dental x-rays. They will then obtain an impression so that our lab can customize your veneers. On the second visit, our dentist prepares your teeth for veneer placement. We will provide a local anesthetic for this procedure since we will need to trim the tooth enamel. We will take about half a millimeter of enamel to make room for your veneer. Removable veneers require less enamel removal. We can then give you a temporary veneer while you wait on permanent veneer construction. In about two to four weeks, our office will obtain your permanent veneer from the lab. We will bring you in for your final appointment. Here, we will place the veneer and check that it fits properly to your tooth. Slight adjustments can be made if necessary. Our dentist will clean and polish your tooth surface and then roughen it. The veneer will be placed using a permanent dental cement. A special light is used to trigger the chemical reaction that hardens the cement. We will then file down any additional cement that shows to achieve the desired appearance. You may need to come in for an additional follow-up appointment a few weeks after your placement to ensure that your veneers and gums are still in good condition. We examine your teeth after placement to ensure that you do not have any negative reactions to the materials. Avoid hard or sticky foods and let us know if you have concerns about teeth grinding. For more information about dental veneers, call New Life Dental at (227) 258-3188. |
 Office HoursMon-Thu: 8:00am - 5:00pm *Closed for lunch 12-1pm Mon, Tues, Thurs & 1-2pm Weds Fri: Closed |
