Dental Veneers

Porcelain Veneers in Albuquerque, NM

Porcelain veneers are a great way to improve the appearance of your teeth. They are usually used as cosmetic dentistry treatments, but dentists can also use them for dental reconstruction. Essenmacher Family Dental in Albuquerque, NM, provides porcelain veneers to our patients.

What are porcelain veneers?

A thin, flat piece of porcelain bonded to the front surface of your teeth is called a porcelain veneer. Porcelain veneers are bonded over your chipped or broken tooth to hide dental imperfections in your smile. Dental veneers can also be used as a method of dental reconstruction. It is one of several cosmetic treatments that could give you a new, beautiful smile. It has the advantage of being more permanent and durable than dental bonding. It also doesn’t require as much grinding of your tooth enamel as needed to place dental crowns.

Some common uses of dental veneer treatment include:

• Masking dark stains that teeth whitening treatments can’t remove
• Natural teeth that appear to be too small can be resized to match surrounding teeth
• Improving the appearance of a tooth that has a minor misalignment
• Improving cosmetics by repairing cracked or chipped teeth
• Closing unsightly gaps between teeth
• Restoring worn-down teeth to their original condition

Benefits of Veneers

Custom veneers offer many benefits to give you a perfectly white and picture-perfect smile. For example, it’s often been used in Hollywood by budding movie stars to provide themselves with a smile worthy of the big screen.  Veneers offer whiteness beyond any other method for discolored teeth, but that’s hardly the only benefit. 

Straightening Teeth

Teeth can be uneven and crooked, and you may believe they need to be straightened or corrected by an orthodontist. However, dental veneers can also treat minor to moderate alignment problems. It’s like having instant orthodontics for cosmetic purposes. 

Filling Gaps

Unbalanced gaps in your teeth can be less than charming. Veneers can smooth out uneven space, a common flaw that you might associate with repair by braces. In addition, a veneer may be offset from the tooth it caps, giving a natural-looking mask to inconsistent teeth spacing.

Repairing Damage

Damage to your teeth’s enamel or dentin can lead to cavities and cracks, which might cause them to weaken over time. Porcelain veneers are like thin shells bonded directly to the teeth they cover, providing strength and reinforcement for the natural enamel.

Improving Hygiene

These irregular spaces and gaps are not only aesthetic problems. These may be decay danger zones, locations where food debris accumulates, and regular tooth brushing may overlook. After your veneers are placed, it’s simpler to brush and floss effectively, which is all the maintenance your veneers require aside from your regular visits.

Stopping the Wear

Veneers can help treat or prevent premature surface wear, which might be caused by teeth alignment grinding teeth. 

Who is a candidate for porcelain veneers?

Porcelain veneers are an excellent option for almost anyone. However, before placing your porcelain veneers, you will want to treat any significant gum disease or tooth decay. Also, if your teeth are very crooked, you may need to have braces before getting porcelain veneers.

Cost of Dental Veneers in Albuquerque, NM

Receiving porcelain veneers can cost between $800 and $2,000 per tooth. Unfortunately, insurance usually does not cover the cost of getting porcelain veneers. In your initial consultation, we can discuss options for financing or alternate cosmetic dentistry procedures that can help correct your cosmetic imperfections.

Longevity of Porcelain Veneers

Most patients can benefit from their veneers for about 10 and 15 years. However, it is essential to keep in mind that proper care can do a lot to extend the life of your treatment. Therefore, keep seeing your dentist twice per year to ensure your veneers are still in good condition. Regular brushing and flossing, dentist checkups, and avoiding acidic food and drinks are your best bet to protect your dental veneers.

Dental Veneers Procedure

First, we will take an impression to send off to a dental lab. Then, they will create the dental veneers from high-quality porcelain and return them to us. We may need to place some temporary veneers while waiting for your custom-made veneers to arrive. The dentist will prepare the tooth by filing off some enamel and shaping the tooth. This step is the reason that veneers are a permanent, non-reversible treatment. Your dentist will then place the porcelain veneers on your natural tooth structure, covering the entire front surface, and bond it in place with dental cement. Then you can go home with your stunning veneers. You can expect two visits to our office to complete the procedure, and we will ask you to come in for a follow-up to make sure they are staying in place and are in good shape.

Request a consultation!

If you want to restore the natural appearance of your teeth, contact our dental office so we can guide you to the best cosmetic procedure to bring out your best smile. We care about your oral health and want to ensure a simple and effective treatment process for our patients at our Albuquerque office. So give us a call or request an appointment online!