What makes a person appear pleasant? I’m sure many of you would argue just to how much of a degree the clothing influences pleasantness, and while you’d be right, there’s still something that’s even more important: the smile. This is due to the fact that smiling people appear nicer, more approachable and likeable, radiating confidence and positive energy; a smile can help you leave a long-lasting great impression. All this goes to show smiling is an essential part of a persona, and yet it’s not something everyone can pride oneself on because we don’t all have the spotless radiant smiles of celebrities. Thankfully, dentistry is here to the rescue, saving us from bad oral health and damaged self-confidence.

There might be temporary fixes that can last up to months, possibly a year or two or so, but when it comes to permanent solutions, tooth veneers are the answer. They are thin shells, either made of porcelain or composite resin material, and are bonded to the patient’s teeth. Because it’s a safe and easy procedure, sometimes it doesn’t even require anaesthesia. Usually, veneers are the perfect solution for teeth that are severely damaged, discoloured either due to stains or root canal procedure, chipped, misshaped or there’s the presence of diastema (gap in between front teeth). Best of all is you get to have naturally looking veneers, matching the colour of your teeth and no one would even notice the difference.

It’s advisable to get more consultation before the procedure, so you’d be satisfied with the outcome. The first step is examining the teeth, then a mould is created that is needed for the fabrication of the tooth veneers. The fabrication can take up more than a week and temporary resin veneers are used meanwhile. The preparation of teeth requires that about a millimetre of every tooth is removed and this is where some patients may need anaesthesia. Once the veneers are ready to be placed, teeth are cleaned with the addition of a specific chemical to create the perfect base and bond. It’s important that you discuss before the cementing step in case you don’t quite like the colour since the shade of the cement can alter it, but once the cementing has finished there’s no colour changing.

Getting veneers means you get an enhanced smile with teeth that look natural and are stain resistant thanks to the impermeable porcelain surface so you will no longer have to feel guilty when indulging in coffee, tea and wine. Other than brushing and flossing, same way as with your natural teeth, you won’t have to do any particular maintenance but do make sure you pay your dentist a visit every now and then to check in on them.