For many, porcelain veneers are the perfect answer to the perfect smile. Of course, this type of perfection comes with what can be a hefty price, sometimes in the vicinity of $10,000 or more.

In the 1980s, a new process to correct smiles came on the market – bonding. This was painless, and many insurance companies considered this to be type of filling, so patients took advantage of this and had some minor problems taken care of. Spaces, uneven front teeth, and occasional a crooked tooth could be made beautiful again by adding a substance that resembled tooth enamel. Out of pocket expenses were minimal, there was no prep work, no side effects, and within an hour you could walk out with a nicer smile.

However, bonding had its limitations. It did tend to chip, mainly because it’s a material that is coated onto your teeth. A simple air bubble between the layers could cause an unsightly crack or total loss of the coating. The bonding also had a tendency to stain, and these stains could only be removed by either buffing them out at your dentist’s office, or by reapplying the bonding. In either case, it was cheap and effective. Many bonded teeth dating back to the 80s are still looking good today!

However, a newer more effective process was finally created – porcelain veneers. Rather than having a substance painted or brushed onto the surface of the tooth, or between teeth to fill in spaces, a veneer resembles the front of a tooth, a slice, and is basically glued to the front of your regular toot’.

As with bonding, there is little prep work other than the dentist needing to prepare the actual tooth. This usually includes nothing more than some buffing to rough up the surface just enough so that the adhesive needed will hold in place. There is no pain, and there are no after effects.

However, they do tend to be expensive, especially when compared to the minimal costs of the bonding a few decades before. The average cost of one veneer is about $900 depending on where you live and where you have the work done. Having it done by your dentist might even be more expensive than having it done at a clinic that specializes in veneers and other types of cosmetic dentistry.

Rarely can you get away with just one. Normally you need at least two, and these are usually on the top front teeth to start. Some patients add veneers as they can afford to, and frequently start with just two. Then they might finish their upper teeth, at least, the ones that can be seen when they smile. There really isn’t any need or benefit to do the back teeth since a veneer does nothing more than change the appearance, and not the functionality, of a tooth.

Veneers can be custom made to suit your mouth. Although certain teeth can be fitted perfectly the first time around, you usually need to have your teeth sized properly and then return for one or two visits.

Author Bio: Dentist Toronto providing advanced cosmetic and general dentistry such as dental implants, teeth whitening, porcelain veneers Toronto and porcelain crowns.

Category: Medical Business
Keywords: dentist, cosmetic dentist, dentistry, porcelain veneers, whitening, wellness, health