Restore Your Smile with Veneers

Have you started to notice imperfections in your front teeth? You look in a mirror and see a large chip out of one and a hairline crack in the other. Certainly, that crack could worsen. Your bike accident damaged your once perfect smile. Porcelain veneers from TLC Family Dentistry could restore your teeth. Why not find out more about this popular cosmetic service from your dentist in Lee's Summit, MO, Dr. Jamie Thurman-Taylor. She loves remaking smiles so her patients look and feel their very best.

Details on porcelain veneers

Just what are they? Porcelain veneers are tooth-shaped shells of thin, strong ceramic. They custom-cover the front side of teeth marred by flaws such as tobacco stains, chips, cracks, gaps, pitting and odd shape and/or size. Bonded in place with special tooth-colored cement, porcelain veneers are a long-term tooth enhancement. They require only mild enamel resurfacing when compared to the major tooth reshaping needed to place a dental crown. So we can say that veneers are minimally-invasive cosmetic treatments.

Qualifying for veneers

You must be free of decay and gum disease to receive porcelain veneers. So your dentist in Lee's Summit examines his or her patients first before recommending veneers, or any cosmetic service for that matter. If your teeth are well-suited for veneer placement, expect to come to TLC Family Dentistry at least two more times for oral impressions, enamel resurfacing and actual placement of veneers.

What else is involved?

When you and your doctor agree on veneers, they will remove a thin slice of enamel from the front of each tooth. This small reduction allows the laminates to fit properly and to bond well to the tooth surface. Your oral impressions and a customized treatment plan go to a specialty dental lab where a master ceramist sculpts each veneer. In the meantime, you wear temporary veneers which will be removed at a later date.

At the next appointment, the dentist bonds the new veneers in place using a special cement which can be colored to exactly match the rest of your smile. Fit and bite are carefully adjusted, and that finishes the process.

At home, the veneer patient brushes and flosses as usual and returns to TLC Family Dentistry in about a week for a brief follow-up appointment. Then, routine check-ups and cleanings continue on the usual six-month schedule.

Results vary, of course, but according to popular dentistry website, 1-800-Dentist, you'll likely show off those beautiful veneers for 10 years or longer. Just don't open soda bottles or chew ice cubes. While veneers don't decay, they can break just like natural teeth.

Interested?

Porcelain veneers may be just the smile enhancement you need. Contact TLC Family Dentistry for more information and to set-up a consultation with Dr. Thurman-Taylor. The practice proudly serves Greenwood, Lake Winnebago, Pleasant Hill, Raymore, Belton, Lone Jack, Harrisonville and Lee's Summit, MO. Call (816) 537-6161.