Our smiles play a big part in our lives. When we meet new people, it’s often the first thing that they notice about us. A lot of people are self-conscious about their teeth and veneers and dentures can help. That’s why two-thirds of American adults see a dentist every year.
These cosmetic procedures can correct a variety of dental issues. Whether you have gapped teeth, chipped teeth, tooth discoloration, misaligned jaw, and crooked, you can correct them with dentures or veneers.
In this article, we will go over what each procedure entails and how they differ from each other. So if you’d like to learn more about veneers vs. dentures, then you’ve come to the right place. Keep on reading and we will take you through everything that you will want to know!
What Are Veneers?
Veneers are thin coverings. They are placed in front of the teeth and are made out of either composite resin or porcelain. They are useful for people who have teeth that are very discolored and can’t be corrected with bleaching.
Veneers are great for people who have damaged teeth from trauma, chipped teeth, discolored teeth, and teeth with gaps. You should not get veneers if you have bruxism, crooked teeth, untreated cavities, or advanced gum disease.
Veneers won’t help with those issues and can only make the problems more complicated.
Types of Veneers
As we mentioned before, there are two main types of veneers. These are composite veneers and porcelain veneers. Let’s go over how they differ below.
Composite Veneers
Composite veneers are made out of composite resin. They come in two different categories, indirect and direct veneers.
Dentists make direct composite veneers onsite and apply them to the teeth directly.
With indirect composite veneers, they are custom-made. This means you’ll need to make an appointment for them to be applied. These two categories are made from the same materials but are applied differently.
Direct composite veneers are able to be applied without preparing the teeth. However, some preparation is usually done.
First, the teeth will be cleaned and then a thin layer of the tooth is removed.
The prosthodontist is then going to etch the enamel for proper adhesion. With help from the adhesive, the dentist will attach the resin to the enamel. They will then use UV light to harden the composite.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are composed of porcelain. They are considered to be the highest quality material for veneers. The application process of these veneers is similar to the one for composite veneers.
The main difference is that these veneers are custom-made. They also require two appointments for them to be applied properly.
During the first appointment, the dentist will shave down the enamel. If you have decay then the dentist will shave down past the decay.
The dentist will then study your dental formula to make a precise impression of your teeth. They will also note the natural color of your teeth.
The prosthodontist is then going to attach temporary veneers to your teeth. In a few weeks, the dental surgeon will remove the veneers and polish your teeth. They will then use a special adhesive to attach your porcelain veneers.
The dentist will then use UV light to harden the veneers and make last-minute adjustments.
Dentures
Dentures are dental prosthetics for missing teeth. They are also removable.
Dentures can be made out of plastic or porcelain material. They are common in older people because they are more likely to lose teeth as they age.
Dentures are also useful for people who have missing teeth after severe underlying oral conditions or a traumatic experience.
Common causes of tooth loss can include periodontal disease, facial injury, severe cavities, tooth decay, and aging. Thankfully, dentures can fix all of the problems that are listed above. And they look just like natural teeth.
Types of Dentures
There are two main kinds of dentures. They are complete dentures and partial dentures. Let’s go over them below.
Complete Dentures
Complete dentures are applied when someone is missing all of their teeth. These dentures are made out of an acrylic or plastic base that matches the color of the gums.
Oral adhesives hold the complete dentures in place. These dentures are very easy to take out.
Full dentures come in two categories. They can be either immediate or conventional.
A prosthodontist will place immediate dentures right after removing the natural teeth. The patient doesn’t need to wait through a healing period to get false teeth.
However, these are temporary solutions before placing the conventional complete dentures. The placement of conventional dentures can take between two months and three months after the teeth have been removed.
These are better than immediate dentures because the gum is fully healed.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are good for people who still have some natural teeth. They are easy to remove and consist of false teeth sitting on a plastic base.
No matter what kind of dentures you plan to get, make sure that you go to a reputable dentist, like the ones at Justice Dental (justicedental.com).
The Importance of Knowing the Differences for Veneers vs. Dentures
Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now understand the differences when it comes to veneers vs. dentures. As we can see, these two dental procedures fix different problems but are both effective.
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