Advantages of dental veneers
- Compared to alternative dental procedures, there is minimal time, cost and pain involved in getting veneers. They are quite a convenient solution if you don’t have the time or desire to invest in orthodontic treatment.
- Veneers look very natural and are indistinguishable from your other teeth.
- The colour of veneers can be chosen to make your teeth appear whiter.
- Teeth only require basic preparation before veneers can be attached and don’t require the extensive shaping prior to the procedure that other options – such as crowns – do. The original tooth will remain more intact.
- Gum tissue is very tolerant to the porcelain material of veneers.
Disadvantages of dental veneers
- Once you have veneers the process is permanent, if a preparation of the tooth was done it is not reversible.
- Chips and cracks can happen, and veneers are usually not repairable.
- Although very unlikely, veneers can sometimes dislodge and come off, especially if you put excessive pressure on your teeth (such as biting your nails, grinding your teeth or chewing on hard objects).
- Because veneers require enamel to be removed, that particular tooth may temporarily become more sensitive to hot and cold food and drinks.
- Teeth with veneers can still decay, which may necessitate other dental treatments and solutions. Veneers are not a solution to correcting dental problems.
- Veneers are not suitable for everyone, particularly people with a lot of decay or active gum disease, weakened teeth, an inadequate amount of existing enamel or those who are prone to clenching and grinding their teeth.