A Facelift for Your Teeth? Getting Veneers

Porcelain veneers are sometimes called a facelift for your teeth. The name fits: thin shells bonded to the front of your teeth can change their color, shape and apparent alignment without replacing the teeth themselves. But a facelift for your teeth is still a dental treatment, with a consultation, a plan and several steps before the final result. This post walks through what getting veneers is like at the Timonium office of Dr. Steven W. Haywood, DDS, from the first conversation to living with your new smile.

Why veneers get called a facelift for your teeth

Dental veneers are thin, translucent shells, usually made of porcelain, bonded directly to the front of your teeth. Like a cosmetic refresh, they work on the surface people see. They can improve gaps, chips and stained or discolored teeth, and they can make crooked teeth look straighter, so a smile looks more even and whiter overall.

The comparison has limits. Veneers change your teeth, not your skin or facial features, and they cannot fix gum disease, decay or a bite that is out of balance. That is why the first steps below are about deciding whether veneers are the right tool at all.

Before you start: are veneers the right tool?

Veneers are one option among several, and sometimes another treatment reaches the same goal with less work.

• Small chips or a single gap may be handled with dental bonding, often in a single visit.
• Color alone may respond to in-office teeth whitening. If you want both, whitening usually comes first, because porcelain is matched to your natural teeth and whitening does not change porcelain.
• Teeth that need to move can be shifted with Invisalign before veneers, which is often combined with veneer makeovers here.
• A gummy smile may call for a gum lift so teeth show in better proportion.
• A heavily damaged tooth may need a crown rather than a veneer. For that choice, read crown or veneer for a front tooth.

If you want to go deeper on candidacy, see are you a candidate for traditional veneers?

Step 1: A conversation about what you find beautiful

Getting veneers starts with talking, not treatment. Your visit begins with a conversation about your goals and what you find beautiful, alongside a thorough oral exam. It helps to jot down what you would like to change beforehand, such as a color, a chip, a gap or the length of your front teeth, so nothing gets missed and Dr. Haywood can quickly understand what you are picturing.

Step 2: A smile evaluation on the imaging computer

Next comes a smile evaluation on the imaging computer. Digital photographs of your smile are changed on screen, giving you a before-and-after preview so you can see possible changes before any treatment begins. This is where you and Dr. Haywood agree on direction: subtle or dramatic, which teeth, and how bright. Learn how cosmetic imaging works.

Step 3: Planning how much of each tooth is prepared

Dr. Haywood always chooses the thinnest veneer and the most conservative approach. A veneer can be as thin as a contact lens, and it partially wraps around the tooth like a suit of armor, protecting and strengthening it. Unlike traditional veneers or crowns, it does not require grinding down the entire tooth.

How much preparation your teeth need depends on their condition. If you qualify, prepless veneers need little or no drilling and preserve most, if not all, of your natural enamel. Teeth that are very dark or damaged may need a veneer that is thicker or more opaque in places to cover what is underneath. For a closer look, read minimal prep vs prepless porcelain veneers.

Step 4: Test-driving your new smile

Before your final veneers are made, you receive a trial set to evaluate. This “test drive” confirms that the shape, color and overall look meet your expectations, and that the result looks natural, never fake. It is your chance to see the new smile on your own teeth and ask for changes while they are still easy to make.

Step 5: Hand-crafted porcelain

Once the design is approved, your final veneers are hand-crafted in the USA by master ceramists, using US-certified laboratories chosen for their ability to customize each case. Each veneer blends colors and translucencies with the small details that make a tooth look like a tooth. When several veneers are planned together, they are designed as a set, so they match each other and the teeth around them.

The practice offers conventional porcelain veneers, thin veneers such as DURAthin and Lumineers, and composite veneers. Thin veneer brands are made of the same materials, so what matters most is the skill and artistic eye behind each design. Compare the options in three types of veneer materials.

Step 6: Bonding day

At your bonding appointment, the final veneers are bonded to your teeth. Ultra-thin porcelain stays translucent and shiny like natural enamel once it is bonded, which is a large part of why well-made veneers look like teeth rather than covers. You leave with care instructions, and bite protection is recommended to protect your investment. Your veneers are warrantied for one full year, no questions asked.

Living with your new veneers

Porcelain resists stains better than natural teeth or composite, but veneers still need care. The way you care for your smile is the best predictor of how well it lasts.

• Brush and floss as usual, and keep up with professional visits.
• Never use your teeth to open objects or cut things.
• Wear bite protection if it is recommended, especially if you grind.
• Limit staining foods and whiten your natural teeth routinely so they keep matching.

If a veneer is damaged accidentally, it can typically be corrected easily. For a full care routine, read how to care for porcelain veneers.

Can the facelift happen faster?

For some patients, yes. The Haywood surgical smile makeover combines a gum lift with same-day customized veneers, which helps guide tissue healing and shows the cosmetic result right away, so you can walk out with a new gum line and smile. If you have a deadline, a same-day smile makeover can be planned in a single day. Read same-day smile makeovers and veneers to see what one day can and cannot do.

What veneers cost, and how to pay

Every case is unique, so your fee is set after an assessment, and fees for veneers depend on your smile plan. The practice is out of network with insurance companies: you pay at the time of service, and the office files the claim on your behalf so your plan can reimburse you for anything it covers. Many plans limit purely cosmetic treatment. HSA and flex plans are welcome, staging treatment can help if you use a flex spending account, and financing is available through CareCredit, with no-interest options for up to 12 months, and Cherry, with plans from 3 to 24 months.

Frequently asked questions

Will getting veneers hurt?

The practice keeps you comfortable throughout treatment. Prepless veneers need little or no drilling, laughing gas is complimentary if you would like it, and oral and IV sedation are available for anxious patients.

How many veneers do I need?

It depends on how many teeth you want to improve and their condition. Sometimes a few veneers are enough; other plans treat more teeth so the smile looks balanced. Your imaging preview helps decide. See what porcelain veneers can fix.

Will people be able to tell I have veneers?

The aim is that they cannot. Dr. Haywood insists on a natural, never-fake look, and the test-drive set lets you confirm the shape and shade before the final veneers are made.

What if I don’t like the trial set?

That is exactly what the trial set is for. Any changes to shape, color and look are talked through before your final porcelain is crafted.

Plan your facelift for your teeth in Timonium

If you are wondering whether veneers could refresh your smile, start with a conversation and a preview. See every option on the cosmetic dentistry in Timonium page, then request an appointment or call (410) 453-9399. The office of Dr. Steven W. Haywood, DDS is at 108 W Timonium Rd, Ste 200, Timonium, MD 21093, serving Timonium, Towson, Hunt Valley and Baltimore.