Dental veneers in Huntington Beach are extremely thin coatings, often made of porcelain, which are applied to your teeth and can improve your smile signficantly. They also serve to protect the underlying tooth from various types of damage. These coatings are bonded directly to the teeth, and will generally alter the size or shape of a specific tooth. However, they can be colored so as to blend in with the surrounding teeth.

The veneers we offer at Huntington Beach Dentistry are made of two primary materials, those being the aforementioned porcelain, or a resin composite. Porcelain veneers are generally favored for their ability to resist stains, and for the fact that they look more natural and realistic. Resin compounds, on the other hand, are generally less expensive and quicker to install. We can discuss the benefits of each more at your initial consultation.

There are a number of reasons why you might want to obtain dental veneers from us at Huntington Beach Dentistry. If you’re spending time out on the shoreline with friends, you won’t want tooth discoloration to be obvious and embarrassing. Maybe you have a chipped or cracked tooth that you don’t want friends to see and tease you about. Or maybe you have an obvious gap between two of your front teeth, and this has always caused you to be self-conscious about your smile.

It could even be that you have several resin fillings which can be seen when you smile, and you’d like these covered up. Having veneers applied can help in all these areas, and make you feel much more confident about your smile, and about interacting with others. In other words, there are tremendous aesthetic advantages to having veneers installed over your existing teeth.

If you come to us at Huntington Beach Dentistry to have veneers installed, it will involve a multi-step process. Firstly, we will consult with you about what you’re trying to achieve, and you can tell us about any concerns you may have with the process. At the same time, we’ll explain how veneers work and what you can expect. It might be necessary to take x-rays or impressions of your teeth, and these would then be used as the basis for your final veneer.

Next, it will be necessary to take whatever steps are necessary to prepare the tooth. This will generally involve the removal of at least a small amount of the tooth itself, and then making an impression in it. The next step will be to install temporary veneers, while the final ones are being produced in a laboratory. In the last session, the temporary veneers will be removed and the lasting ones will be installed.

If you have a veneer installed which is made of a resinous material or some type of composite bonding, the entire process can be accomplished in one step. We will remove some amount of your tooth and then bond the composite material to the tooth. This is a somewhat less popular option for veneers, because it doesn’t resist staining as well as porcelain.

It’s also not as long-lasting as a porcelain veneer would be. You can expect a porcelain veneer to last at least between five and 10 years, and probably longer than that with good care. Composite or resinous veneers don’t have that same life expectancy, and you can anticipate replacing them periodically, although they will cost less money.

There are actually several very real advantages to having veneers installed, the first of which is that they provide an appearance which is very natural. In that same vein, you can choose the color of a porcelain veneer so that it matches your other teeth. Porcelain veneers are also highly resistant to stains, and your sensitive gum tissue will tolerate porcelain veneers very well.

Having a veneer placed over your tooth is a very conservative way of changing its shape and color. There is much less shaping required on the tooth when we install a veneer for you, as opposed to the extensive shaping necessary for crowns. Despite the minimal shaping which is necessary, veneers still provide a very strong and aesthetic option for covering any given tooth. You get all the advantages of great aesthetics and durability from a porcelain veneer.

Another reason why veneers are very popular is that they require no special care after being installed. We do recommend that you avoid foods and beverages which cause stains, e.g. tea, coffee, red wine, but other than that, there are no other special steps necessary. If you continue to observe good oral hygiene, your veneers will last for a very long time. Regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing your mouth out with a good antiseptic mouthwash, is all you should ever need.

Under normal circumstances, your veneer should not crack or chip, because they’re very strong. However if this does happen, you would simply have to consult with us again and have a replacement made. Since veneers are not typically covered under most insurance plans, you would probably be obliged to pay the cost yourself, usually somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000 per veneer. This should motivate you to take good care of your veneers through normal good hygiene practices.

It’s a simple matter to find a local prosthodontist who can install dental veneers for you. Like everything else, you can simply conduct an online search, for example using the phrase, “dental veneers near me Huntington Beach”, and that will turn up a listing of qualified professionals (including our Huntington Beach Dentistry clinic), which you can choose from. We can install veneers for you fairly quickly and with minimal discomfort, so you’ll end up with a great new smile, and you’ll feel a whole lot better about yourself.