Over time, your teeth can get damaged, stained, or even look unsightly as a result of improper care, lifestyle damage or even some other dental work you may have had in the past. Dental veneers and laminates are thin shells that are bonded to the front of your teeth, to cover up any imperfections in your natural teeth.

Veneers can fix the way your teeth look, to give you a gleaming smile that grabs the right kind of attention!

Problems that can be fixed with Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are used to target most problems that make the front part of the teeth look unattractive.

These can include:

• Discoloration and stains from medication, excessive fluoride use, fillings that have discolored, tobacco, and the like.
• Signs of wear, like chipped, cracked, worn-out and broken teeth.
• Uneven, irregularly-shaped and misaligned teeth or teeth with gaps between them.

Dental laminates or veneers are one of the most popular ways to improve the appearance of the front part of the teeth. Veneers are basically very thin shells that are custom-made to match the shape, length and shade of the surrounding teeth. Depending on the material used, they can resist stains to quite an extent, as well as mimic the look of your natural teeth.

What Does the Procedure Involve?

Getting veneers isn’t very time-consuming, with the entire procedure usually being completed in just three visits to your dentist:

1. Diagnosis and Planning

   Your first visit will typically be a consultation with the dentist, so he or she can inspect your teeth closely, diagnose their condition and chart out a plan of action. At this stage, you can discuss your expectations from the laminates. The doctor may need to take an impression of your teeth or an X-ray, to properly determine the extent of damage.

2. Preparation and Temporary Veneer

   Usually, on the second visit, the dentist will prepare your teeth for the eventual veneers. This involves removing a small layer of the enamel, typically the same thickness as the veneer, about a ½ millimeter. The removal can be carried out under local anesthetic if you prefer, or if the dentist feels it would be necessary.

   Another model is made after the removal, so technicians can shape the final veneer to be unnoticeable. In case the tooth is extensively damaged or unsightly, a temporary veneer can be used until the final veneer is ready.

3. Bonding and Placing

   This is the final visit is when the customized veneer is inspected and installed. The dentist will first place the veneers without any cementing material, to ensure they fit well and look natural. Once they are trimmed as needed, the surface of your teeth will be cleaned thoroughly, polished to remove any surface imperfections and then ‘etched’.

Etching roughens up the surface that will be in contact, so the veneer adheres better. After the tooth has been positioned correctly with the bonding cement, a special light is applied to help the cement cure quickly and thoroughly. Any excess cement or protruding surfaces are then ground down to size.

Pros and Cons of Dental Veneers

While veneers have better aesthetic qualities, they do not prevent or halt cavities, infections and other tooth problems.

Advantages

• Laminates can be very closely matched to your natural teeth and are not very noticeable.
• Porcelain veneers resist stains well and they don’t disturb the gums.
• Unlike dental crowns, veneers don’t require extensive reshaping of the whole tooth, just the front surface.
• Laminates are relatively non-invasive and don’t carry the risks related with major dental work.

Disadvantages

• Veneers are more expensive compared to composite resin bonding.
• They are permanent and usually can’t be repaired in case they chip or crack. Additionally, they cannot be recolored.
• Though it’s very rare, veneers have been known to fall off if they’re strained too hard.

Aftercare and Expected Life

Veneers do not require any special attention other than normal oral hygiene, though it is generally a good idea to avoid stressing them too much. This includes avoiding biting fingernails or chewing very hard objects. Your tooth can still decay under the veneer and if it gets out of hand, you might need a root canal or crown.

Generally, veneers can last anywhere between five years to a decade and they can be replaced after that. Even though they resist staining quite well, it’s a good idea to avoid foods that can cause stains, like red wine and coffee – better safe than sorry! Call us at +917016730440 to schedule your consultation for a smile makeover or to fix your problem teeth.

The most common causes of tooth decay are cavities, which most of us ignore until they start to hurt. That’s the wrong way to go about it, and we’ll explain why.

Different Parts of the Tooth

Each tooth in your mouth consists of two major parts – the crown and the root. The crown is the visible part of a tooth while the root is the portion that you cannot see, since it is anchored within the bone.

Within these sections, a tooth is composed of four different kinds of tissues, which are:

• Enamel – Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body and is charged with the task of protecting your teeth against the wear and tear of chewing. It is the durable covering that makes up the protective outer surface of the crown of a tooth.
• Dentin – Dentin consists of a yellow bone-like material that makes up most of the inner surface of a tooth. It supports the enamel and carries some nerve fibers of the teeth too.
• Pulp – The term ‘pulp’ is used to define a soft tissue at the center of the tooth that contains blood, nerves and lymph vessels.
• Cementum – This tissue covers most of the root of a tooth and helps it attach to the bones in the jaw.

What Does Your Oral Cavity Contain?

The oral cavity is the structure within your mouth that allows you to taste, chew, and swallow food, as well as form words. It consists of two alveolar arches, which hold teeth, and is bordered at the back by the isthmus and the fauces. Other parts of the oral cavity include the floor of the mouth, lips, check mucosa, hard palate and mobile tongue.

How Does Your Tooth Decay?

Bacteria which are normally found in the mouth change carbohydrates (starch and sugar) into acid. This acid combines with food particles and saliva to form plaque, a sticky substance that adheres to the teeth. Plaque forms after every meal and snack and begins to build up on the teeth 20 minutes after eating.

If not removed, the acid in the plaque begins to damage the enamel covering the teeth and creates holes in the tooth, which are referred to as cavities or caries. These are basically permanent structural damages to the outer surface of the teeth that develop into tiny openings or holes.

A cavity can affect part of a tooth or the entire tooth, depending on how early it is detected and treated. It begins as a white spot, then spreads to the enamel, dentin and cementum, and can even cause an abscess if left untreated, so make sure you include regular dental check-ups in your schedule!

Prevention of Cavities

Aside from good brushing and flossing habits, the best way to prevent cavities is to treat the onset of tooth decay before it develops into a cavity. Therefore, regular dental checkups are necessary whether or not your mouth is feeling fine. Through a dental checkup, the earliest sign of tooth decay (which is indicated by a soft tooth surface) can be detected and appropriately addressed.

Other preventative measures that can help prevent cavities include:

Use of Fluorides – Oral fluorides taken in the form of fluoride tablets or fluoridated water are recommended by dentists to protect against cavities. Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by filling the pores of immature enamel or small early cavities.
Following a Proper Diet – Since cavities are caused by sugary, starchy, chewy, and sticky foods, practicing good eating habits can help prevent cavities too. This includes consuming fewer foods that cause cavities, as well as avoiding snacks between meals.
Using Sealants – Sealants are thin plastic-like coatings applied on the surfaces of molars and premolars to prevent the buildup of plaque in the deep grooves of these teeth. Sealants are normally applied on the teeth of young children shortly after their molars come in, however, they can also be used by adults when prescribed by a dentist.

Treatment of Cavities

The ideal treatment for a cavity depends on how extensively it has spread. Generally, the less advanced the cavity, the less pain and expense you will have to bear for the treatment. Various cavity treatment options that your dentists may suggest include:

• Fillings – In the case of not-so-serious cavities, your dentist can remove the decayed tooth material with a drill and replace it with fillings made of gold, silver, alloy, porcelain or composite resin. All of these materials are completely safe, but porcelain and composite fillings are preferred since they closely match the appearance of natural teeth.
• Root Canals – This procedure is necessary when the nerves in a tooth have died because of a cavity. The dentist will remove portions of the damaged tooth along with the nerve and blood vessel tissues at the center of the tooth. The roots will be filled with a sealing material and a crown placed over the filled tooth.
• Crowns – When a cavity is so bad that there is minimal tooth structure remaining, a treatment which includes fitting a crown (made of porcelain, gold or porcelain fused to metal) will be required. This procedure includes the removal and repair of the entire damaged area followed by the fitting of a crown over the remaining part of the tooth.

Cavities that are left untreated can lead to severe toothaches, pain while eating, infections and eventual tooth loss. The bottom line is – cavities are really no fun at all, so make sure you get immediate dental attention. Call Monarch Dental Clinic at +917016730440 to book your treatment today!