How Veneers Can Fix Chips, Gaps, and Discoloration for a Perfect Smile

Are you hiding your smile due to stubborn discoloration or feeling self-conscious about noticeable chips or gaps in your teeth? Veneers offer a simple, customizable way to fix a variety of aesthetic imperfections.

For the latest in cosmetic dentistry, turn to the experts at LA Dental Town, in East Los Angeles, California. Our team works closely with you to create a perfect smile that you can’t wait to show off to family, friends, and colleagues. 

This winter, transform your appearance with high-quality, natural-looking veneers. In this post, we explain how they work and what to expect from the process, from your initial consultation to the final application.

What are veneers?

Veneers are ultra-thin shells fabricated from a durable porcelain or composite material that mimics the color and texture of real enamel. These infinitely customizable restorations fit over the front surfaces of your teeth, allowing us to instantly change the shape, size, and shade of each tooth for a symmetrical, uniform smile.

Veneers feel and function just like natural teeth, and they’re highly resistant to stains and discoloration. With proper maintenance, they have a lifespan of up to 15 years — or even longer  — providing a lasting upgrade to your look and your confidence level.

How veneers correct common dental imperfections

By covering the entire visible surface of the tooth, veneers effectively mask a variety of imperfections that might otherwise require multiple procedures and a great deal of time to correct. Here’s how veneers address three common cosmetic concerns.

Chips and cracks

Small chips and hairline fractures often appear at the edges of teeth, creating a rough, uneven appearance. Veneers not only conceal the damage and restore a smooth contour; they also add structural integrity and reinforce the underlying tooth against further wear.

Gaps and uneven spacing

For mild to moderate spacing issues or gaps between teeth, veneers offer an alternative to lengthy orthodontic treatments like braces or clear aligners. The veneer shells are made slightly wider than the original tooth, filling the space and instantly creating a fuller, straighter smile.

Deep-seated stains and discoloration

While professional teeth whitening treatments are an excellent option for removing surface (extrinsic) stains, they often fail to resolve deep-seated discoloration that begins in the dentin layer (intrinsic stains). Veneers conceal any level of discoloration with a stain-resistant layer of porcelain in your desired shade.

The veneer process: What to expect

The path to your new perfect smile starts with a personalized consultation, during which we discuss your treatment goals and assess your oral health to ensure you’re a good candidate. If any underlying decay or gum disease is present, we must address it before going ahead with the procedure to ensure a stable foundation for your veneers and to prevent complications.

To begin the process, we prepare the surface of each tooth by removing a thin layer of enamel, creating the necessary space for the porcelain shell to fit seamlessly. Next, we take digital impressions of your prepared teeth — these act as the blueprints of your custom restorations.

Once your veneers are ready — we send your impressions to a dental  lab for manufacturing, which takes a couple of weeks — you return to our office so we can check their fit, shape, and color, making sure they meet your exact specifications. We then permanently bond each shell in place to complete your new smile.

There’s virtually no downtime after the bonding procedure, and caring for your veneers is as simple as caring for your natural teeth. Twice-daily brushing, flossing, and regular dental check-ups are all that’s needed to keep these restorations in great shape for years to come.

Ready to make that perfect smile a reality? Call or click to schedule a consultation at LA Dental Town and find out if veneers are the right choice to fix any chips, gaps, or discoloration in your teeth.