Dental Veneers and Dental Laminates in Chesapeake, VA

If a person is happy with their smile, they become confident, especially with the positive reception they get from others. But if a person is not happy with their smile, it could harm their morale. They will constantly feel a need to avoid showing their teeth, making them refrain from smiling, laughing, and interacting freely with the people around them. 

Thankfully, recent developments in cosmetic dentistry can transform your smile faster than you ever imagined. Both dental veneers and dental laminate procedures can produce outstanding results in a relatively short time.

What Are Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers are thin custom-made porcelain shells that are secured over your natural teeth. They are tooth-colored and blend seamlessly with the rest of your teeth and bridge gaps between them, sometimes hiding breakage or even stains. The problems that veneers can correct are a bit broader than that of teeth laminates. 

Veneers are placed in a two-phase process, with temporaries often necessary during the fabrication period between sessions. The process for veneers is longer, but the results can be more long-lasting. Your real teeth will need to be filed slightly to ensure proper fit and bonding in some cases.

What Are Dental Laminates?

A dental laminate is a paper-thin shell fabricated with tooth-colored material. These customized shells are bonded to the teeth’s front surface to conceal their defects and improve their overall appearance. 

The dental laminates require a less invasive procedure compared to veneers. Its application involves no scraping of the tooth. Only some basic preparation is needed for bonding tooth laminates, and there is absolutely no damage to the surrounding teeth. After the laminates are cemented in place, they are hardened with a special light to make them strong.

The composite tooth laminate procedure can be completed in a single visit to the dentist. The laminates are applied, sculpted, and cured in the dentist’s office, whereas the veneers must be fabricated in a dental lab. The preparatory work to the tooth’s surface is minimal, so laminated teeth can be easily reversed with fewer chances of causing damage to the natural tooth. However, the range of defects dental laminates can correct is a bit less than that of veneers.

How Do You Choose Between Veneers And Laminates?

Dental veneers and dental laminates provide great solutions when it comes to having a smile enhancement. All major dental solutions should be taken seriously, and the final decision ultimately lies in the hands of the patient and the dentist regarding which choice is better. This is because the needs of each patient vary, and one option usually outweighs the other when personal conditions, cost, and other factors are taken into consideration. It always helps to take the recommendations of a dentist.

Call us at Alencar Family Dentistry or Schedule an Online Appointment to know more about dental veneers and dental laminates.