Dental Veneers in Longmont

Recreating your smile into one that you love can be as simple as placing dental veneers. A veneer is a thin porcelain or zirconia facing that is bonded over your front teeth. This very thin facing transforms the color and shape of your teeth. It can be used on your upper and lower teeth for a complete smile transformation that looks beautiful yet natural. With veneers, you have the ability to work with Dr. Farmer to achieve the ideal shape, color, length, and translucency for one or more of your teeth.

What are Veneers Used to Correct?

A person may wish to have porcelain veneers placed if they have one or more of the following:

  • Gaps between teeth
  • Discolored or stained teeth
  • Cracked or chipped teeth
  • Crooked teeth
  • Teeth that are misshaped
  • Teeth with eroded enamel

Dr. Farmer’s Veneer Placement Process

The process for placing veneers typically requires two office visits, each lasting between one and two hours. Both stages of the process are painless, requiring only a local anesthetic to keep the patient comfortable. During the first office visit, a small amount of enamel is removed from the tooth or teeth where the veneers will be placed. Dr. Farmer will then make an impression of the teeth so that the veneers can be custom-made to fit the natural size and shape of the patient’s tooth or teeth. Dr. Farmer will also match the color of the patient’s teeth using a tooth shade guide. The doctor will then send all of this information to the dental laboratory to create the patient’s veneers. It takes approximately one to two weeks for the veneers to be made.

Once the veneers are finished, the patient will return to Dr. Farmer’s Longmont dental practice to have them placed. At this time, she will check that the veneers adequately match the patient’s teeth, trimming them if needed. Dr. Farmer will then clean and polish the patient’s teeth, and then etch the tooth to roughen its surface so that the veneer will bond to it. A strong adhesive dental cement is applied to the tooth and the veneer is placed over the top of the tooth. Dr. Farmer will then apply a special light over the veneer and tooth in order to activate the chemicals in the adhesive so that it bonds with the tooth. She will then check the patient’s bite to ensure that the veneer is placed properly.

What to Expect After Your Veneers Are Placed

For the first week after the veneers are placed, patients may experience slight tooth sensitivity to cold and hot foods and beverages. It is also normal for a patient to feel a slight change in their bite, as the veneers may alter it a bit. Most patients get used to this slight change over time, and cease to notice any difference after a time.

It is also important that patients maintain the appearance and durability of their veneers by keeping up with good oral hygiene habits and avoiding dark-colored, tooth-staining foods and beverages as much as possible. Regular dental cleanings, where veneers can be professionally polished, are also important for long-term care.

Schedule a Consultation for Veneers in Longmont

Would you like to learn more about dental veneers and better understand whether they can help you achieve the smile you’re after? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Farmer by calling Crossroads Dental of Longmont at (303) 776-1480.