What are Dental Veneers? Options, Benefits, & Costs

While they're not usually harmful to your oral health, cosmetic dental issues like gaps between teeth, stains, chipped teeth, or an uneven smile can really hurt your confidence and self-esteem. You may feel self-conscious or anxious about being judged for how your smile looks, and you may try to avoid exposing your teeth when you smile, laugh, speak, or even eat around other people.

But with dental veneers in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, you can completely transform your smile and feel better about your overall appearance, too. Interested in learning more about this popular cosmetic treatment? In this guide, the SmilesHUB team will go over the basics of dental veneers, discuss how they work, compare porcelain vs. composite veneers, and more. 

What Are Dental Veneers? Your Guide To The Basics

Dental veneers are made from a thin layer of material such as porcelain or dental composite resin. Each veneer is built to cover up the front surface of a tooth. By doing so, veneers can cover up a wide variety of aesthetic flaws in the smile. This is one of the reasons they're so popular among cosmetic dentistry patients today.

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With a full set of veneers, a cosmetic dentist like Dr. Sushant Dhadwal or Dr. Ritu Dhadwal can completely transform your smile. Not only can you cover up flaws in your smile, but you can change the overall shape, balance, and color of your teeth, too.

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However, it is important to note that, like all cosmetic treatments, dental veneers are not meant to treat cavities or any other oral health issue. If you have cavities, a tooth infection, gum disease, or any other problem with your dental health, these will have to be resolved with other treatments before you can consider getting veneers.

Understanding The Benefits of Dental Veneers

• Amazing cosmetic results – When you get dental veneers at SmilesHUB, you’re in control. Dr. Sushant or Dr. Ritu will work with you to pick out the perfect color for your new smile, provide a sneak peek of how your teeth will look, and ensure you get the results you want. You’re always in control throughout the entire treatment process at our office.
• Highly versatile treatment – Dental veneers can be used to treat a wide variety of cosmetic flaws all at once. They're commonly used to cover up stains, eliminate gaps between teeth, enlarge and reshape small or misshapen teeth, enhance the overall balance of your smile, and even to treat slightly crooked or crowded teeth, in some cases.
  
• Simple care and maintenance – Veneer maintenance is really simple. Brush twice a day, floss once a day, and don’t skip your checkups at SmilesHUB. Along with a healthy diet and good habits, you’ll be able to keep your new smile in great shape for years to come.

Comparing Porcelain Vs. Composite Veneers

The most common types of dental veneers are porcelain veneers and composite veneers. At SmilesHUB, we typically recommend porcelain veneers for most of our patients. Wondering how these two common veneer materials compare to each other? Let’s find out.

Porcelain veneers

Porcelain veneers are made from a durable ceramic material that’s very similar to natural enamel in color, durability, translucence, and overall appearance. If you want the most durable, long-lasting cosmetic treatment, porcelain veneers are a great choice.

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Porcelain veneers look and feel extremely natural. They are also very durable, with a typical lifespan of 10-15 years with proper care. They're also stain-resistant, so your new smile will look beautiful for years to come.

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However, porcelain veneers are more expensive than composite veneers, so they may not be the best choice if you are on a tight budget. They also sometimes require the removal of more tooth material compared to composite veneers, though this is not always the case.

Composite veneers

Composite veneers are made from dental composite resin. This is the same material that’s used for treatments like fillings and dental bonding. This is a very strong, tooth-colored mixture of dental resin and crushed glass particles.

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The primary benefit of composite veneers is that they offer excellent cosmetic results while still being more affordable than porcelain veneers. If you want to restore your smile without breaking the bank, composite veneers may be the right option for you.

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The drawback is that composite veneers have a much shorter lifespan of 5-7 years. They also are not as durable or stain-resistant as porcelain veneers, so you’ll need to be a little more careful as you maintain your new smile.

What’s The Difference Between Veneers And Dental Crowns?

If you’re looking into your options for enhancing your smile, you may also be wondering how dental veneers are different from crowns, and which treatment may be right for you. The short answer? Crowns are restorative, while veneers are cosmetic.

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Dental crowns are similar to veneers, but instead of covering up the front of your tooth, they cover up the entire tooth. A crown is basically a hollow, false tooth that fits over your existing tooth, protecting it all the way down to the gums.

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This is why crowns are a great option for restoring damaged teeth. They are frequently used after deep cavities, tooth infections, root canals, or to restore teeth that have been cracked or broken by dental trauma.

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However, crowns also require the removal of much more tooth material than veneers. This means they are not usually a good choice for enhancing your smile unless your tooth is damaged or unhealthy.

How Much Do Dental Veneers Usually Cost?

Dental veneer costs vary based on lots of different factors. This includes the material used for the veneers, the location of the dental practice, how many teeth are being treated with veneers, the location of each tooth, and several other factors.

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Overall, though, you can expect to pay somewhere between $500 and $1500 per tooth for composite veneers in Illinois. Porcelain veneers are more expensive, with a typical range between $900 and $2500 per tooth.

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Since they are cosmetic, veneers are not covered by dental insurance. However, at SmilesHUB, we never want high treatment costs to stop you from getting the smile you deserve. We offer monthly payment plans to help you pay for your treatment over time, as well as the SmilesHUB Assurance Plan, which provides a free cosmetic consultation as well as a 10% discount on cosmetic care and most other treatments at our office.

How Do I Care For My New Smile After I Get Veneers?

Dental veneer maintenance is simple. For the most part, you can treat your new veneers just like your natural teeth! But if you’re wondering how to keep your new smile in great shape for years to come, here are a few steps you’ll want to follow:

• Brush twice a day and floss daily – Make sure you use fluoride toothpaste, brush your teeth for at least two minutes, and brush every surface of each tooth. Daily flossing also helps keep your teeth and veneers healthy by removing debris that you can’t reach with brushing alone.
  
  
• Get a nightguard if you grind your teeth – If you grind your teeth at night, investing in a custom-fitted nightguard from SmilesHUB is a smart choice. Teeth grinding can put stress on your teeth and veneers and damage them, but a nightguard helps protect your smile.

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• Avoid biting into super hard foods with front teeth – For example, you shouldn’t bite into hard, crusty bread, a carrot, or some other super hard food with your front teeth. Over time, this can wear down your veneers and damage them.

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• Don’t chew non-food objects or use teeth as “tools” – Don’t chew fingernails, pens, pencils, or any other type of non-food object. You also should never use your teeth to tear tape, rip open packages, pop open bottles, or for any other such purpose.
  
  
• Don’t skip six-month checkups – Make sure you visit Dr. Sushant or Dr. Ritu every six months for a teeth cleaning and oral exam. They will examine your mouth,  clean up your smile to keep it looking amazing, and ensure that both your teeth and veneers are in great shape.

Answering Your FAQs About Dental Veneers

• How long do dental veneers last? Porcelain veneers have a typical lifespan of 10-15 years. Composite veneers usually last between 5-7 years. Avoiding bad habits and maintaining great at-home oral hygiene helps maximize the lifespan of your veneers.

• Are veneers a permanent solution? Yes. Once you get veneers, you will need to keep them for the rest of your life. However, the veneers themselves don’t last forever. As they wear out, you will need to replace them to keep your teeth healthy and maintain your picture-perfect smile.

• Do veneers damage natural teeth? No. While veneers do require the removal of some natural tooth material, they do not damage your teeth. Once your permanent veneers are in place, your teeth will be just as strong as they were before your treatment.

• What’s the difference between veneers and crowns? Veneers are purely cosmetic and are meant to enhance your smile. Crowns enhance your smile, but also cover up the entire tooth to protect it from further damage. Crowns are mostly used to restore your oral health after a deep cavity, tooth infection, root canal, or dental trauma.

• Can I whiten dental veneers? No. Veneers do not respond to whitening chemicals in the same way that your natural teeth do. Both porcelain and composite dental veneers cannot be whitened.

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Explore Your Options For Veneers In Oakbrook Terrace, IL

If you’re not happy with how your smile looks, you may be interested in transforming your teeth with cosmetic dentistry in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. At SmilesHub, Dr. Ritu Dhadwal and Dr. Sushant Dhadwal are here to help. We offer a full suite of cosmetic dentistry services including dental veneers.

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With Dr. Sushant or Dr. Ritu on your side, you can explore all of your options for a new smile, including porcelain veneers. So don’t wait, and don’t let self-consciousness about your smile hold you back. Give us a call at (630) 519-6972 or contact us online to book your cosmetic consultation today.