There was a time, when only the rich and famous could afford, or had the time to enhance their smiles with dental veneers. This usually involved a lot of time, energy and of course, money, with only some dentists providing this type of cosmetic dentistry. Early movie stars would use removable veneers that they pasted onto their teeth and removed after scenes. These were very thick porcelain and uncomfortable.
The use of veneers actually date back to 700 BC, with the Etruscans using all manner of materials to cover up rotting teeth to the Egyptians using seashells. None of these processes were comfortable or long-lasting, but technology and dentistry improved each decade to the point now, where there is literally a dental veneer alternative for anyone, anywhere. Prices still do vary, as of course, dentists in Hollywood, California will always command higher prices than those in Anchorage, Alaska. But overall, the use of veneers is now available to all cross sections of society. It all depends on the type of veneer chosen, and the cosmetic dentist that is chosen. And you can definitely check out nooga dentistry if you are looking for a professional dental expert. Veneers are now generally bonded to teeth using adhesive and are relatively thin in nature. The veneers themselves can be porcelain, ceramic, or composite. There are even new “clip on” veneers for sale online, or at dental clinics too, where the veneer, which is usually a certain number of teeth, is clipped onto the existing teeth before leaving home or whenever a consumer wants to have a better smile. These veneers are plastic generally, and a quick fix maybe for someone that wants instant results.
More stable and long-term options can range in price from a few hundred dollars USD to a few thousand dollars, USD, depending on the number of teeth, and the type of veneers chosen, as well as the type of materials used. Porcelain, especially thin porcelain veneers, seem to be the costliest as well as the most time-consuming, with molds being needed more than one time, followed up by more than one fitting and office visit. This fine-tuning is needed in the thinner porcelain veneers as they do give the best effect, but are extremely thin, and usually only a portion of the size of the tooth. The amount of tooth lost in the process is also more minimal. Less costly veneers sometimes require much shaving or drilling down of the tooth, whereas thinner dental veneers are shown to salvage much of the original tooth, with just some shaving down of the front of the tooth.
Despite the fact porcelain remains the most popular option for long-term stability right now, there are new types of dental veneers already on the horizon. These new types are made from finishing the porcelain veneer with a composite of materials. These veneers are being touted by the dentists using them as more sturdy, and long lasting. However, since this is somewhat of a new style of veneer, the jury may remain out for a while yet on this type of composite veneer. This approach to dental veneers has been around for over 10 years, however, the price does reflect the amount of time, energy and cost of materials to create these. The price can range from a couple thousand dollars per tooth which can be restrictive to most average consumers.
On the other end of the dental veneer spectrum are the clip-on veneers, which are for sale even on some auction sites online and have been spotted for $1.11 USD for a full upper set. How these would fit, how a person could decide what would fit, and if there would be any comfort level at all in this type, is left for the individual consumer to decide. Some Web sites exist where a consumer can custom make their own digitally designed clip on veneers, where a help desk and dentist exist to assist.
Most dentists now offer the clip-on style veneers, but these are made also in office with the dentist assisting in all facets of the preparation. Other custom-made veneers, no matter what the materials, are measured and determined in a dentist’s office, where the tooth color, tooth size, and even tooth thickness are factors a cosmetic dentist takes into consideration.
The question might remain should you or shouldn’t you take the step into veneers? This is a question only each individual person can answer. No matter what the decision, it can largely depend for most people on whether they can afford dental veneers of any type. Most insurances do not cover these procedures, except in extreme cases, since dentures and other types of procedures such as extraction can alleviate many extreme dental problems. Most individuals seeking veneers are seeking an improvement in appearance, and veneers still are considered just cosmetic dentistry. Although self esteem can go up with a great smile, unless health issues are involved, most dental insurance companies still balk at paying for this costly procedure. An individual must weigh all the options: time, money and future energy in sometimes having to replace the veneers, when considering getting dental veneers.
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