How Long do Veneers Take to Heal?

Are you looking for a quick solution to cover teeth-related defects? Rely on dental veneers to make your smile more harmonious and correct defects in the shape, position, and colour of your teeth. In this blog, LerraClinic will talk about how long veneers take to heal and how to prolong the lifespan of dental veneers.

Continue reading this informative guide and follow our tips to take care of your smile.

What Are Veneers?

Porcelain dental veneers, also called veneers, are sheets of porcelain or composite material with a very thin thickness ranging from 0.5 to 0.7 millimeters; these plates are glued onto the teeth to correct defects in the shape and color of the teeth and restore the normal chewing functions of the mouth.

 These veneers which are very often considered as real dental prostheses are applied directly to the external surface of the tooth to improve the aesthetics of the teeth and solve chewing problems.

Their purpose is to improve dental aesthetics, the teeth become whiter again, and the black spaces between the teeth are reduced. They can be used to correct problems such as defects in shape, position, color, or dental stains. The veneers are adapted and fixed on the teeth so that they perfectly match the shape and size of the existing teeth.

 Another of the objectives of dental veneers is to restore normal masticatory functions following any trauma (chipped teeth or dental fractures ), or following normal dental wear due to teeth grinding, bruxism, or bad habits such as biting objects or biting your nails.

Dental Veneers Behind The Scenes: Preparation Techniques

In recent years the dental team, made up of an aesthetic dentist and dental technician, has been subjected to increasingly demanding requests from patients regarding the aesthetics of the smile.

These requests combine high-level aesthetics with minimally invasive interventions.

 Dental veneers are the best solution for this type of need. These are prosthetic devices made up of ceramic plates the thickness, in some cases, of just a contact lens, which is applied to the external surface of the tooth to improve the aesthetics of the smile (but not only that, they can also strengthen weakened teeth from wear or abrasion). These prosthetic products, therefore, allow the definitive and extremely satisfactory resolution of defects in the shape, color, and position of the teeth where this is not possible with orthodontics, teeth whitening, or other techniques.

Another extremely positive aspect of veneers is that they are minimally invasive restorations compared to classic prosthetic crowns, which require demolishing up to 70% of the tooth structure.

Today we want to tell you how these little dental jewels are made.
Let’s start with the material:

dental veneers can essentially be made using composite material or ceramic material. Specifically, we will discuss how the dental laboratory creates ceramic veneers, using a ceramic material called lithium disilicate. This particular type of ceramic has optical characteristics (therefore light refraction and fluorescence) which are very similar to those of natural tooth enamel.

• The Dental Process
  The dentist, after having discussed with the patient and created a ‘mock up,’ i.e. a simulation of the final aesthetic result obtainable with veneers, slightly prepares the surface of the tooth for a better adaptation of the prosthetic product and takes an analogue or digital impression of the mouth.
• The Ceramic Structure
  The ceramic structure of the veneers is created on the basis of this impression. The laboratory prefers to make lithium disilicate veneers through die casting in a high-temperature oven, which gives rise to a very precise and resistant product.

• Refining the Veneer Once
  the casting has cooled, the technician sands and cleans the ceramic material under the microscope. At this point, the dentist tries the raw veneer in the patient’s mouth to check its perfect fit. Subsequently, the final color is taken and the dental technician finishes the veneer itself, painting it or layering it with other ceramics as appropriate. 
•  Final Veneer Placement
  Finally, the veneer perfectly adapted to the patient’s aesthetics in color and shape, will be permanently cemented onto the tooth by the dentist.

Tips for a Smooth Recovery from Dental Veneers

Oral hygiene in the days following treatment must be delicate so as not to bother the gums. These, during cementation, are normally separated to improve adhesion. It is not a painful procedure that requires pain relief therapy, but the resulting irritation can last a few days.

 It is therefore advisable to clean with a soft bristle toothbrush and with a unidirectional movement from the gum towards the tooth. This movement does not further irritate the gums, which will return pink and well adhered to the tooth within a few days.

Once the veneers have been cemented they are one with the tooth and, with the new materials, there is no risk of them coming loose. It is therefore advisable to use all hygiene aids such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss.

The diet does not presuppose any particular limitations even if it is always a good practice, after having consumed particularly staining elements such as coffee, tea, red fruits, or cigarette smoke, to rush and brush your teeth! Ceramic veneers must be subjected to regular checks by the dentist, especially regarding occlusion with the teeth of the opposite arch.

 If the patient suffers from disorders such as bruxism (grinding the teeth at night) it is advisable to provide a protective mask (night-guard) to be worn every night. Properly controlled veneers have an average lifespan of between 10 and 20 years if properly cared for and controlled.

Choosing the Right Type of Veneers for Your Recovery

There are different types of dental veneers on the market, the most common are those made of lithium disilicate or composite, but recently other more innovative materials have also entered the market, such as componeer.

Lithium Disilicate Dental Veneers ( Ceramic material)
Lithium disilicate veneers are custom-fabricated in the laboratory and then applied to the patient’s teeth. They require a certain amount of work and for this reason, are more expensive.
But thanks to the high resistance of the ceramic material to impacts, scratches, and fractures, the lifespan can exceed 10 years, if treated with due care.
Furthermore, the aesthetic result is more natural in terms of brilliance and color.

Componeer Dental Veneers (A Direct Veneering Technique)
Componeers are nano-hybrid composite enamel shells, cured and performed, which combine the advantages of direct composite restoration with the advantages of preformed lithium disilicate veneers. These veneers are quick to apply (even just one session may be enough), the tooth is subjected to very light filing before applying the veneer, its appearance is healthy and natural and the final cost is cheaper than Lithium disilicate veneers.

Your smile is a powerful asset, and if you’re thinking about a smile makeover or a restoration of your teeth, dental veneers can be a wonderful option. This ultra-thin, custom-made veneer is designed to cover the front of your teeth, hide imperfections, and give you a beautiful smile. However, the veneer world offers a variety of options, and it’s important to choose the right one for your unique needs. In the table below, we will explore the types of veneers available and the recovery process for each. 

What Can We Do for you at LerraClinic?

The first visit to LerraClinic includes various phases to be able to formulate a specific treatment plan studied and personalized for each clinical case that comes under our observation.

 In simpler words, we will study the patient’s mouth and offer him the most appropriate and innovative veneer options to restore or preserve the health of his smile.

• Phase 1: A dental medical history is collected to understand the patient’s health status, both systemic and dental, and we ask him to tell us his clinical history.

• Phase 2: intraoral and extraoral dental examination, i.e. inside and outside the mouth. This sometimes also happens thanks to the help of radio diagnostic tools such as intraoral x-rays and panoramic images, which allow the dentist to draw up a diagnosis of the specific case.

• Phase 3: if the case requires multi-specialist interventions, there will be a consultation phase with other dentists at Lerra Clinic. In some of these therapies, it will be necessary to investigate the case further with second-level radiographic tests such as, for example, a CT scan.
  
• Phase 4: After the consultation, a therapeutic plan is drawn up which corresponds to a quote that illustrates, with clear and detailed expense items, the therapies proposed by the LerraClinic team of specialists.
  
• Phase 5: presented with the estimate, the patient is then asked to consider it calmly and, if he agrees to accept it (signing it) he can entrust the care of his mouth to LerraClinic: you will be asked to carefully read the estimate and the informed consent document presented by our operators. These contractual documents clearly set out the risks and advantages of the proposed therapies (or alternative therapies reported in the documentation). The operators are available to the patient to welcome his questions and answer any type of doubt.
  
• Phase 6: the patient who has accepted the treatment and care path, and therefore the estimate, will coordinate with our dentist at LerraClinic, and the acceptance which, based on the patient’s needs and the availability of the clinic dentist, will identify the best days and times to schedule the appointments needed to take care of your oral health.

Let’s Sum It Up!

Veneers offer some stain resistance; however, it is advisable to try to minimize exposure to staining agents such as tea, coffee, and smoke, which tend to darken natural teeth and dental restoration work.

For those looking for a result that is far more effective and long-lasting than that offered by teeth whitening or for patients who have already resorted to a teeth whitening treatment without finding particular benefits, aesthetic veneers represent a certainly valid alternative.

Thanks to dental veneers at LerraClinic, patients are able to completely recover the functionality of the compromised dental elements and once again obtain pleasant and satisfactory aesthetics.

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