Veneers – Temple, TX
Creating a Flawless, Dazzling Smile
It’s one thing to treat a single smile flaw, but fixing several can sound like a lot of effort. You may think the process would take a while and involve many different treatments. However, there’s actually a way to address all those imperfections at once: veneers in Temple! Dr. Fossum can place these unique shells to quickly make your grin look gorgeous and dazzling. To learn more about them, please keep reading or book a consultation with our office.
Why Choose Richard Fossum, DDS for Veneers?
- No-Prep Lumineers Available
- A Highly-Experienced Dental Team
- Gorgeous Results with White Glove Service
What are Dental Veneers?
In essence, dental veneers are thin, tooth-sized shells placed on the fronts of teeth. They’re designed to hide a wide range of smile flaws – chips, cracks, stains, misalignments, and more. Once set on your teeth, they only show an appearance that blends with the rest of your grin.
Veneers’ lifelike qualities stem from their high-grade materials. The shells are normally made of porcelain, so dentists can alter them to match your smile in color, size, and shape. That means their final results should look natural and “fit in” with your other teeth. These effects can also last a while, as veneers are highly stain-resistant and durable.
The Process of Getting Veneers
The average veneer treatment takes about two dental visits. The first is a consultation that can double as the preparation work, while the second one places the final shells.
With Dr. Fossum’s approval, the first appointment “preps” your smile for veneers. This step makes room for the final shells by removing some enamel from the teeth. Once it’s done, our team will take an impression of the prepped area and send it to a dental lab. The lab workers will make your permanent veneers in a few weeks while you wear temporary ones.
You’ll attend your second visit once the final veneers are ready for placement. At that time, Dr. Fossum will cement the shells to your teeth and make some last-minute adjustments. You can then enjoy your transformed smile!
If you want a faster treatment, you could also try our Lumineers. These shells are ultra-thin veneers placed without prep work and can be removed as needed.
The Benefits of Veneers
You'll enjoy many great benefits if you get veneers from our office. These include the following:
- A Gorgeous Grin – Since veneers are made of high-quality materials, they match your surrounding teeth. They “blend in” so well that most folks won’t even notice you have them!
- Versatile Care – Once placed, veneers can fix many smile flaws. They’re well-suited for hiding stains, chips, cracks, fractures, and even misalignments.
- Stain-Resistance – Modern veneers have high stain resistance, meaning they don’t discolor much from foods and drinks.
- Long-Lasting Results – Average veneers last roughly 15 years, and well-maintained ones can have lifespans of 30 years or more.
Understanding the Cost of Veneers
Due to how well they work, you may worry veneers exceed your budget. That’s a fair worry – dental insurance plans don’t usually cover the shells. Even so, the truth is that the cost of veneers varies from patient to patient; you must see Dr. Fossum for an exact estimate. Our team will also work diligently to make your treatment more affordable. In fact, we’ll gladly walk you through veneers’ pricing factors, payment options, and other helpful details.
Veneers FAQs
What Happens to the Teeth Under Veneers?
Veneers in Temple don’t harm the teeth they’re placed on. That said, the shells do alter your smile as part of the preparation process.
Before they place your veneers, dentists remove some enamel from the treated teeth. This process ensures the final shells remain stable and blend seamlessly with your grin. Furthermore, the removal work doesn’t harm your teeth; each veneer will cover its tooth to reduce the risk of cavities.
Given these points, please brush and floss your veneered teeth regularly. Not doing so could cause cavities beneath your veneers, threatening your treatment results. You can also protect veneered teeth by limiting your sugar intake, getting regular dental checkups, etc.
Do Veneers Give You a Lisp?
Veneers can sometimes give people a lisp, leading to various troubles with word pronunciation. However, such a speech impediment is temporary and fades quickly.
If your veneers lead to a lisp, the underlying cause is likely muscle memory. There’s a good chance your tongue isn’t used to the shells’ presence and hasn’t compensated yet. In that case, you may struggle with pronouncing the “s” and “v” sounds for a while.
The good news is that a veneer lisp doesn’t last long. As your tongue adjusts to your shells, you’ll be able to pronounce words just as easily as before. Still, you can also speed up the adjustment by reducing your veneers’ thickness in a certain area.
How Many Veneers Will I Need?
How many veneers you need will depend on your situation. After all, different patients can require varying amounts to make all their visible teeth match.
Say your smile only has a few “problem” teeth, for example. Your dentist may suggest getting a couple of veneers to correct your grin. From there, you could quickly enjoy your great-looking teeth.
On the other hand, perhaps many of your teeth have cosmetic flaws. You’d then need 6, 8, or even 10 veneers to create a pretty and symmetrical smile. Otherwise, at least a few of your pearly whites would seem “off” and throw off your grin’s look.
Do Veneers Feel Like Real Teeth?
In general, yes – veneers do feel like “real” natural teeth. Patients report that the shells don’t upset their mouths or even draw their notice when talking or eating.
This natural feeling is partly due to how veneers are customized. Dental labs design the shells to fit well on your teeth, so they shouldn’t protrude uncomfortably once placed. Your veneers should have a size and shape that make them feel like ordinary parts of your mouth.
At the same time, veneers feel natural because of their material. Since they use smooth dental-grade porcelain, the shells don’t irritate your mouth’s soft tissues. Running your tongue against them will just emphasize the veneers’ non-abrasive texture.