GONE are the days when people struggled with dental care.
Specialists were not as common as they are now and some procedures were even considered taboo.
People normalised getting rid of a toothache immediately by just plucking out the tooth.
There was no time or resources to spare for longer dental procedures due to illiteracy, which later made people realise how expensive cheap things were.
Dental and facial aesthetics have become popular in recent years as people have become more educated.
Aesthetics have become the talk of the town, veneers, crowns, bridges, you name it.
It is as if everyone wants to have them, except for a few.
Dental veneers have caused people to not appreciate their natural smiles.
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Peer pressure has pushed a majority of people who do not even need veneers to get them.
Hence, the important question is, who really needs veneers and why do they need them?
Veneers are defined as thin, custom-made shells or layers, typically made of porcelain or composite resin (which is usually used for fillings), that are bonded to the front surface of a tooth to improve its appearance.
This can translate to improving its shape or colour.
Dental veneers cannot be made at home; they are specifically made for you at a dental lab after an assessment with a dentist.
It is not possible to fabricate them at home.
How are dental veneers made?
The dentist examines your mouth to see if everything is in good condition, meaning the gums and the teeth themselves, checking for any cavities or tooth sensitivity problems.
After this, the dentist will decide the type of veneers you need in terms of colour, durability and aesthetics.
The dentist will shave off a small amount of your teeth, depending on the type of veneer to be fabricated.
Then he or she will take an impression, which is a negative mould of your mouth, teeth and gums that is used to create a replica for your dental veneers.
Who needs veneers?
Veneers are primarily used for:
Severe intrinsic stains or teeth discoloured from within that do not respond well to professional whitening.
These stains could be due to tetracycline antibiotics that were used by the mother during pregnancy and affected the baby’s teeth; excessive fluoride in drinking water resulting in fluorosis, a condition that causes brown or chalky white stains on teeth in childhood; trauma or a failed root canal.
Worn-out or chipped teeth to restore the lost shape, contour, and length of the tooth.
This includes worn-out enamel due to bruxism or erosion of teeth from the consumption of excessive acidic food and beverages.
Gaps between the teeth. If a patient has a diastema (space) and is conscious about it, it would be a wise decision to consider veneers.
Irregularly shaped teeth, like peg laterals or microdontia (a condition where a person has very small teeth).
Veneers can help to create the appearance of a straighter, more uniform smile.
Slightly crooked teeth as an alternative to braces.
However, be mindful that veneers are not the solution to crooked teeth, but they can camouflage a small orthodontic problem.
Aesthetic enhancement: For patients considering a “Hollywood smile” makeover, if they are not satisfied with how their teeth look and are seeking a complete, uniform, bright and symmetrical smile transformation.
Who cannot have veneers?
There are conditions that would make veneers likely to fail, be unhealthy for the tooth or produce a poor result.
They can be classified into absolute (should never be considered or done) and relative (proceed with caution or only after other issues are resolved).
Absolute contraindications:
Active periodontal or gum disease: Unhealthy gums characterised by inflammation, bleeding, bad breath and bone loss.
Periodontitis should be treated before any cosmetic procedure, as it can cause failure of the veneers or a worsening of the condition.
Imagine putting food in dirty dishes; no matter how good the food tastes, you cannot enjoy it because of where it is placed.
Extensive loss of enamel: Veneers cannot survive where there is not enough tooth enamel; they need a strong tooth surface to adhere to.
Hence, if the tooth has less healthy tooth structure or more filling, or is heavily worn down, it will cause the veneer to fail.
Severely malpositioned or misaligned teeth: Teeth that are severely tipped and rotated cannot be fixed by veneers.
Usually, if they are mildly rotated, they can be trimmed off in a special way or what we call tooth preparation, to be able to accommodate a veneer.
However, if the malposition is too extensive, braces will be a great solution to this problem.
Above all, poor oral hygiene stands as one of the absolute contraindications for veneers because the margins where the veneer meets the tooth are more susceptible to plaque buildup, leading to decay at the edge of the veneer, which will definitely lead to failure.
Relative contraindications
Bruxism or grinding of teeth, is a major risk factor, but it can be managed by wearing night guards to protect the veneers from excessive force during sleep that would otherwise lead to chipping or breaking.
Compromised or failed root canals weaken teeth and may fail to provide a strong foundation for a veneer.
Often, dental crowns do better in this situation than a veneer because veneers only cover the front surface of teeth and not the whole tooth.
Inadequate lip space: For smile makeovers, there should be enough space when you smile to accommodate the new and slightly larger teeth.
If your lip does not rise high enough, the veneers will not be visible, which makes the procedure pointless.
Veneers are mainly meant to improve aesthetics, but that does not mean they never stain or wear down.
If your natural tooth can wear down, then definitely your artificial tooth can.
Veneers do not last a lifetime without great maintenance; remember, you still have your natural tooth under the veneer.
The more you eat and do not brush, the more bacteria accumulates and multiplies, leading to the failure of the cosmetic procedure.
