Veneers vs Cosmetic Dental Bonding 101

Veneers vs Cosmetic Dental Bonding 101

The cosmetic world of dentistry has changed dramatically over the last two decades. Advances in materials and technology have changed the way we practice dentistry. One of the most asked about cosmetic procedures are veneers. Veneers are thin porcelain covers on the front of your teeth to change the shape and color of your teeth. Most people say the wish they could do veneers on their teeth if they could, they are a larger investment and tend to scare people away from the procedure. Most patients don’t know that we have an alternative that will take care of most chips, fractures and discrepancies in our teeth shape. Cosmetic dental bonding is a wonderful procedure with new revolutionary material that blends seamlessly with your tooth structure.

Cosmetic dental veneers come in several varieties including non-prep veneers, traditional veneers and wrap-around veneers. The type of veneer and prep chosen depends on your needs and your presenting dentition. No-prep or minimal prep veneers work well for patients needing to add length and/or width to their teeth. An example is someone with a diastema (space between their front teeth), small teeth with spaces or short and thin teeth. A traditional veneer is on a healthy tooth that is already an acceptable color by the patient. A wrap-around veneer will usually wrap around the sides of the tooth and remove any decay between the teeth.

Cosmetic dental bonding is an excellent choice for the majority of cosmetic concerns. The dental bonding materials blend seamlessly with our natural tooth color like never before. Most materials camouflage the existing tooth shade. The original composite resin materials were very opaque and in limited shades, most of those cases didn’t have the ability to blend and they stand out. Cosmetic dental bonding can restore small chips to larger fractures. We can also lighten tooth shade when one tooth is darker than the adjacent teeth. We can close spaces beautifully between teeth with new Bioclear technology and the need for orthodontics can be eliminated. A complete smile transformation can also be achieved with dental bonding and reshaping of worn down teeth.

Most cases would benefit from either option but it becomes a decision with your cosmetic dentist on what meets your needs the best. Investment, longevity, and minimally invasive are the major determining factors. Your dentist should be experienced in both so that they are able to help you choose the best option for you as well.

In everyday life outside of the dental office, I notice that many people walk around hiding their teeth and smile. Possibly from fear of the dentist or scared of the cost.