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Posts for tag: veneers
A couple of dark and chipped teeth can ruin your whole smile. If this describes your dental situation, consider porcelain veneers from here at Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville, AL. Beautifully crafted from high-grade ceramic, these thin laminates disguise a variety of cosmetic flaws and improve tooth strength, too.
Are veneers right for you?
Here at our Huntsville office, Dr. Michael Pugh can give you sound cosmetic dentistry advice through an examination and X-ray screening. Customized to exactly fit your teeth, veneers are thin, realistically-colored, and can camouflage dental flaws such as:
- Hairline cracks
- Large chips
- Craze lines
- Chips
- Small gaps and crowding
- Tooth rotation
- Stains which don't lighten even with professional whitening
- Uneven or worn teeth
The best outcome starts with a plan
During a consultation, you will discuss how you wish to improve your smile. Dr. Pugh will then offer you options that fit your goals and budget. In the case of porcelain veneers, your dentist will take pictures and impressions and actually preview how your finished smile will appear.
A two-visit procedure
Once your treatment plan is in place, Dr. Pugh will prepare your teeth. For proper placement and bonding, porcelain veneers require tooth resurfacing—a gentle removal of a half millimeter of enamel.
While you wait for your permanent veneers, you'll wear temporary laminates. At the next visit, Dr. Pugh will remove the laminates and use a tooth-colored cement to bond the permanent veneers in place. Because your dentist carefully adjusts and positions your veneers, you'll experience a comfortable fit, perfect bite, and best of all, no dental or gingival sensitivity.
Caring for veneers
If you already have solid brushing and flossing habits, you're well on your way to maintaining your new veneers. Additionally, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry recommends:
- Six-month hygienic cleanings and examinations with your family dentist
- Limiting highly staining foods and beverages
- Avoiding hard foods and biting on objects such as pencils, bottle caps, or plastic packaging
With this care regimen, your veneers can last for over ten years!
Look at that nice smile!
For more information or to arrange a consultation with your dentist, please contact the team here at our office in Huntsville, AL, by dialing (256) 536-3386.
Are you ready to learn more about getting dental veneers in Huntsville, AL?
Wow, that actor certainly has a beautiful smile. It may be the first thing you notice about actors on TV or even people that you pass on the street. A smile is often the most obvious and eye-catching feature we notice about someone. Of course, if your smile isn’t up to par then you may feel rather self-conscious about your appearance. Don’t worry, our Huntsville, AL, dentist Dr. Michael Pugh has your back with dental veneers.
What are dental veneers?
These individually made, thin porcelain shells are bonded to the front of your teeth to provide immediate changes to the color, shape, and size of your smile. Whether you choose to just get one dental veneer to change an oddly shaped tooth or you want to get a full set of veneers to transform your smile, the choice is up to you. Veneers are made from the highest-quality porcelain that even reflects light in the same way that real teeth do so people won’t be able to tell that you have veneers.
Who’s a good candidate for veneers?
You could be right for getting dental veneers if you are looking to hide:
- Discolorations and deep-set dental stains
- Chips and cracks
- Gaps and uneven spacing between teeth
- Misshapen teeth
- Worn-down teeth
- Minor overlapping of teeth
Before our Huntsville, AL, cosmetic dentist determines whether or not you are ideal for veneers, Dr. Pugh will need to examine your smile to make sure that there is no decay or gum disease present. He will also discuss your treatment goals to make sure that veneers can offer what you are looking for. Lastly, we will talk to you about your daily habits, from your oral care routine to whether you grind your teeth, to determine if veneers are the best course of action.
Are dental veneers forever?
If you are getting traditional dental veneers, then some tooth enamel must be removed from the front surface of your teeth before veneers can be applied. Enamel cannot grow back. The removal of it is permanent. This means, that the veneers you have will be your new smile for the rest of your life. Of course, veneers are not designed to last forever, no matter how resilient porcelain is. They will need to be replaced at some point.
Whether you have questions about dental veneers or you want to find out if your smile could benefit from these restorations, the dental experts at Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville, AL, are ready to help you achieve your dream smile.
Veneers are a great way to improve your smile. Whether you suffer from a cosmetic problem like staining or discoloration on your teeth, 
a chipped tooth, or even crooked teeth, veneers can conceal the problem and give you back a beautiful smile. At Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville, AL, Dr. Michael Pugh and his staff are experienced in applying veneers with exceptional results for patients of all ages.
Benefits of Veneers
A primary benefit of veneers is the immediate positive transformation they’ll have on your smile once applied. Veneers can instantly mask a variety of tooth imperfections you might feel self-conscious about. Veneers can give you a smile you love. You might even find yourself smiling more! Many patients with veneers experience a boost in their self-confidence.
Another benefit of veneers is that they look like your natural teeth because they are custom made to fit over your existing teeth. Additionally, your dentist will match the color of the veneers to your surrounding teeth. Further, since the veneers are bonded to your teeth, they have the potential to last a lifetime. With good oral hygiene and regular dental checkups, you can ensure yours do.
Dr. Pugh and the Huntsville, AL area dental professionals at Artistic Dentistry have extensive experience applying custom-fit veneers. They can help you achieve the smile you desire.
Applying Veneers
Veneers are made from porcelain or plastic and applied to the front of your tooth to change it’s shape or improve its color. While veneers are quite thin, they do add a bit of thickness so the teeth they will be applied to are gently buffed to remove a small amount of enamel. This process allows the veneer to sit flush with the surrounding teeth once set in place.
Veneers are created specifically for each individual patient. A mold is taken of the area where the veneers will be applied. The mold is then sent to a dental lab where veneers are custom made to fit the patient’s teeth. Once the veneers are ready, your dentist will bond them to your teeth. Your dentist will first check the fit and color of the veneers before permanently affixing them to your teeth. When ready, the veneers will be applied to your teeth using a special cement. With proper care, your new veneers can last a lifetime.
Speak with Dr. Pugh, your dentist in Huntsville, AL, about how veneers can improve your smile. To schedule an appointment, call Artistic Dentistry at (256) 536-3386.
If you have a tooth that just doesn't look good because of decay or injury, a porcelain laminate veneer is probably a good way to make it look as good as it ever did — and maybe even better! Dental veneers are composed of thin layers of dental ceramic material. They essentially replace the original tooth enamel and require preparation of the tooth by removing a small amount of enamel to allow room for the placement of the veneer.
Recently, more and more dentists have been using minimal prep or prepless techniques that do not require this preparation. In such cases, the porcelain is bonded directly to the outer layer of the tooth's enamel. Highly skilled dental technicians can design a custom-fit veneer that feathers into the tooth just short of the gum line.
Prepless techniques cannot be used in all situations, but when they are used appropriately the results are beautiful and very stable. Should you get prepless veneers? The following is a list of advantages and disadvantages of prepless veneers.
Advantages of prepless veneers include:
- Tooth preparation or reduction is not needed, leaving the original tooth whole.
- They are not placed under the gum tissue, eliminating the possibility that the restorations negatively impact the gum tissue.
- They can be used to change the appearance of teeth that are too small or misshapen making the teeth look larger and eliminate unwanted spacing.
- They can be used to “lengthen” teeth that have been worn down by grinding.
- Since the underlying tooth has not been reduced, prepless veneers are reversible and practically risk-free.
Disadvantages include:
- There are many cosmetic situations in which they cannot be used, and traditional veneers (requiring preparation) must be used instead.
- Prepless veneers cannot be used in cases in which orthodontic treatment is recommended to move the teeth, such as improper tooth position, poor bite, or a poor facial profile.
- Since they are added on to existing tooth structure, they do not work for teeth that are relatively large or in a forward position in a smile.
- They do not usually work for lower teeth because of space restrictions.
- They cannot replace lost or damaged enamel.
Working with prepless veneers requires special skills and training. Please discuss our credentials and experience with us when you inquire about this technique. We can assess your specific situation and let you know whether restoration without the drill is appropriate for you.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your questions about prepless veneers. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Porcelain Veneers Without the Drill.”
An important consideration prior to having any cosmetic dentistry is to understand both the pros and the cons of each particular dental procedure. And while porcelain laminate veneers are among the most aesthetic means of creating a beautiful, more pleasing smile, they are permanent and non-reversible and should be maintained properly.
On average, you can expect porcelain veneers to last anywhere between 7 and 20+ years. However, much of that depends whether or not you care for them properly in addition to the quality of the dental porcelain, the craftsmanship, and placement of them. How long your veneers last can also depend to some extent upon how you age. This is because the gum tissues attached to the living tooth that your veneers are cemented to may shrink or pull away from the tooth exposing its root surface. If this occurs, you should see your dentist for an evaluation, as it may require veneer replacement. Or, the issue might be resolved through some minor periodontal (gum) plastic surgery.
Porcelain veneers are a low maintenance solution for solving a multitude of cosmetic dental challenges, but they do require that you protect them during sports or vigorous activity. You should also wear an oral appliance or mouthguard (nightguard) to protect them from grinding or any other involuntary damage during sleep.
To learn more about porcelain veneers, continue reading the Dear Doctor article, “Porcelain Veneers.” If you are ready to see what cosmetic dentistry can do for you, contact us to schedule a consultation.