Severely stained teeth can be a drag on a smile. Regular consumption of red wine or coffee and certain medications can leave tell-tale signs that make your pearly whites not so pearly at all.

Porcelain veneers can be a solution for Plano patients in this predicament. The thin tooth-shaped shells can whiten and brighten teeth that have become dingy with age or stained by food or drink. Veneers are particularly useful in improving the aesthetics of a tooth that is so discolored that it does not respond to common whitening treatments.

The porcelain used in veneers shares the optical quality of tooth enamel, so the two substances are quite similar in appearance. This characteristic of porcelain gives veneers their lifelike quality.

Porcelain veneers are available in a range of shades to accommodate patient preference. The dentist can make further adjustments to the shade before the veneers are fixed to the teeth.

A cosmetic dentist can use porcelain veneers to achieve a number of goals. In addition to improving on the tooth’s shade, veneers can conceal flaws in teeth, such as chips or cracks. Veneers can also help to bring a stretch of crooked teeth into the proper alignment.

Porcelain veneers can be used as a sole intervention or as part of a complete smile makeover. The entire process of getting veneers takes just two appointments. At the first session, your cosmetic dentist will gather information used to create the veneers. That information is shared with a dental lab, which produces the veneers. When the devices are ready, generally a few weeks later, the dentist bonds them to the teeth.

If you’re using the veneers to enhance the shade of your teeth, it’s important to keep in mind that the porcelain cannot be bleached at a later date. So, your natural teeth should be as white as you want them to be before the veneers are placed. For this reason, some patients choose to combine a teeth whitening treatment with veneers used on severely stained teeth.

If you are considering veneers and would like additional information, contact Plano Smile Studio at 972-398-2550 to schedule your consultation.