How Veneers Can Give You a Celebrity Smile

If you’re like most people, every time you look into a mirror, your focus goes straight to those imperfections affecting your smile. In fact, according to a recent survey, three in five Americans hate how their smile looks in photos. 

 If only a quick fix could turn your less-than-perfect inconspicuous smile into a star-studded celebrity smile that would turn heads the moment you walked into a room. Sound like a scene ripped from your favorite movie? No, says our own Jose Marcano, DMD, here at Orlando Center for Cosmetic Dentistry. With veneers, you can be the star of your own life, stealing scenes from your family and friends.  

Veneers explained

If veneers are sounding like a storyline from Hollywood, you’re not too far from the truth. This cosmetic dentistry treatment has its roots in the early days of Hollywood when California dentist Charles L. Pincus, DDS, fixed teeth imperfections for stars like Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Shirley Temple, and James Dean.

Veneers, sometimes called dental veneers or porcelain veneers, are custom-made thin pieces of tooth-colored porcelain or composite resin that your dentist bonds to the front surface of teeth to cover up imperfections.    

Edit out your smile imperfections

Veneers are helpful for addressing flaws in the front eight teeth that show when you smile. Since they are custom-made for your teeth anomalies, the fit, shape, and color can’t be beaten. Essentially, veneers offer you the ultimate retake that keeps you smiling for years to come.

While finally capturing your celebrity smile will make you feel like you just got your star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the sheer number of teeth imperfections that veneers can tackle is equally impressive. Veneers can address a variety of issues, including:

• Damaged teeth, such as minor chips and cracks in tooth enamel
• Gapped or “picket fence” teeth
• Misshapen teeth or unevenly sized teeth
• Slightly overlapped teeth 

Creates close-up-ready smiles in two appointments

Once you finally decide that you’re ready to write your own Hollywood ending, the last you want to do is wait to capture your celebrity smile. That’s what makes veneers so great. There’s very little waiting involved. In fact, from your first consultation to your last visit, you can get your close-up-ready smile in about a couple of weeks.

At Orlando Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. Marcano typically performs veneer placement in two appointments spaced a week or two apart. At your first visit, Dr. Marcano does an oral exam, checks your dental health history, and asks about your treatment goals.

If everything checks out and he deems you to be a good candidate for veneers, Dr. Marcano prepares each tooth, which will get a veneer. He begins by administering an anesthetic to keep you comfortable. Next, Dr. Marcano preps the teeth by removing a thin layer of enamel from each tooth to ensure that the veneer fits properly.

In the final step of this first appointment, Dr. Marcano takes a series of digital impressions, does color matching, and sends this data to a dental laboratory that fabricates your veneers.

In one to two weeks, your veneers return from the lab and you’ll come in for your second and final appointment. At your final appointment, Dr. Marcano checks the fit of the veneers and adheres them to your teeth. He finishes the process by trimming any excess material and polishing your teeth, and that’s a wrap!  

Your personal encore for years to come

As you leave our office sporting your new celebrity smile, you’ll embark on your encore that will last a long time. Treat your veneers like natural teeth by following a vigilant at-home oral hygiene routine. Brush and flush regularly, and kick those bad habits to the curb, like chewing on ice or using your teeth like a pair of scissors.

Remember that, like your natural teeth, veneers can stain, so your best bet is to avoid or at least cut back on eating and drinking tooth-staining foods and beverages like coffee, tea, red wine, blueberries, and tomato products. Make sure you schedule regular dental check-ups and professional cleanings to keep your teeth healthy and looking great.

If you have a less-than-perfect smile that is standing in the way of your best celebrity smile, contact the Orlando Center For Cosmetic Dentistry for a consultation. You can schedule an appointment by clicking the online booking tool or calling or texting the office today.