Dental Veneers in Hagerstown, MD

If you are unhappy with the appearance of your teeth, dental veneers are an excellent option for a minimally invasive smile makeover. Veneers cover the outside of the tooth and are used to make changes to the shape, color, and size of the teeth. Veneers can be made out of different materials depending on the needs of the patient. Veneers are typically used for cosmetic changes only. If your teeth require additional structural support, we often recommend crowns.

Check out the before and after images below to see how veneers can make a difference!

After

Would veneers improve the appearance of my smile?

Here’s a list of the some of the changes dental veneers could make for you:

• Re-shape teeth
• Improve the look of your teeth due to stains (if whitening procedures didn’t work)
• Close gaps between teeth
• Fix teeth that are chipped, fractured, or broken
• Improve slight rotations and misalignments of teeth

If you are interested in getting veneers, give us a call to schedule a consultation with one of our dentists. Your dentist will work with you to determine a customized treatment plan.

What are the different types of veneers?

There are two main types of materials dentists can use to make veneers, porcelain and composite. Porcelain veneers involve bonding porcelain to the outside of your tooth, while composite veneers are made of a high quality filling material.

As you can see in the photograph below, both types of veneers can look beautiful, and it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between the two even when they are right next to each other! Generally speaking, porcelain veneers tend to be pricier, but longer lasting. The porcelain is stronger and more resistant to stains from things like coffee, tea and cigarette smoke. Composite veneers are still a great option, as they are less expensive and still look great! However composite veneers do require more maintenance. They can lose their shine more easily and require touch-up polishing over the years. Composite veneers can also stain more easily and need to be replaced more frequently.

At your consultation appointment your dentist will review your options in more depth and discuss what will work best for your teeth. As you can see from the image below, you can even mixand match the two types!

What is the difference between a crown and a veneer?

Crowns and veneers can look very similar! Both are dental restorations that we make out of esthetic porcelain. The main difference lies in how much tooth structure we need to remove in order to restore the tooth or cover imperfections.

Veneers tend to be thinner, allowing for cosmetic improvements with minimal removal of your natural tooth – sometimes we can even do veneers without removing any of your tooth! While crowns tend to be much thicker, providing structural support, they are just as esthetic! From the front of your smile the majority of people won’t be able to tell the difference.

Check out the image below to see the difference up close. From the front the veneer and the crown are nearly indistinguishable. On the back side of the crown you can see that it actually covers the entire tooth to provide extra support, while the veneer barely wraps around the edge of the tooth.