Veneers are becoming increasingly popular. People come to me for veneer consultations for various reasons, some fundamental—they want their teeth to function well, and others are cosmetic—a beautiful smile can do wonders for your confidence. People ask about veneers all the time, but not many understand what goes into this aesthetic procedure.
Table of Contents:
What Are Veneers?
Different Types of Veneers
Why People Get Veneers
Veneers Process at Montrose Dental Wellness
How Much Do Veneers Cost?
Does Insurance Cover Veneers?
Key Takeaways: People generally ask for veneers to address cosmetic concerns, such as cracked or chipped teeth or changes in size or color, to achieve a beautiful smile. The process for placing veneers includes a consultation, possible alignment phase, smile trial, prep and temporary approval, and final placement. Veneers are usually made from either ceramic or resin materials. The cost of veneers varies depending on the patient’s needs, including the type of material and number of teeth. Insurance does not cover the procedure because veneers are not considered a necessity; the procedure is considered solely cosmetic. Different practices may have unique protocols. For instance, at Montrose Dental Wellness, Dr. Jillian Horkan always considers a patient’s bite and how the teeth come together to ensure long-term veneer success before doing any veneers.
What Are Veneers?
Veneers are custom-fitted, tooth-shaped shells that fit over your teeth to create a beautiful smile free from chipped or discolored teeth. Creating a customized plan for achieving a beautiful, functional smile with veneers takes time and care.
Different Types of Veneers
At Montrose Dental Wellness, we place veneers in two different materials, ceramic and resin, which are the most common materials used at any dental practice.
Ceramic Veneers
Ceramic veneers are thin shells of ceramic material that we bond to the front of your teeth. Ceramic veneers often require some preparation that involves altering existing tooth structure. Ceramic veneers are long-lasting (most people do not need to replace them) and provide a natural appearance that makes them nearly indistinguishable from real teeth when done properly.
Resin Veneers
When we place resin veneers, we use a composite resin, the same we use with fillings, that closely matches natural teeth colors. In some cases, we customize the color. The process of placing resin veneers is often less involved than that of placing ceramic veneers, and it typically does not require altering the tooth structure. However, resin veneers are more fragile and prone to breaking, meaning they may need to be repaired at some point. Some patients also use resin veneers as a stepping stone before going to ceramic veneers. This process gives them some time and flexibility to explore “what could be” before committing to a more permanent procedure.
We invest time and care in creating individualized plans tailored to each patient’s cosmetic requests and needs.
Request a consultation to learn more about how veneers can improve your smile.
Why People Get Veneers
People get veneers for many reasons. Sometimes, people get veneers to achieve a more beautiful smile. However, people often come for functional reasons—maybe their teeth are breaking down, worn, or cracking, or their teeth are so thin that they appear bluish-grey, or their teeth are severely discolored. These cases require a full workup to determine the best approach to restoring the worn, lost, or damaged dentition. One common misconception is that everyone can have veneers. In reality, several factors are considered before determining the right protocol for creating the best smile for you.
Are you wondering if veneers are right for you? Call Montrose Dental Wellness at (970) 497-4009 to schedule a consultation.
Veneers Process at Montrose Dental Wellness
Here’s what the process for placing veneers looks like at Montrose Dental Wellness.
Consultation
The first step in getting veneers is to call us to schedule an exam and consultation. During this consultation, we’ll review your oral health and x-rays to determine if you are a suitable candidate for veneers and to discuss the best approach. Many times, patients’ teeth are not in the proper alignment for veneers to be successful in the long term. When we see this during the exam, we often recommend a combination of aligner therapy followed by veneers to get your teeth in the proper space for long-term success. Aligner therapy may be necessary if your teeth are rotated, tipped, misplaced, or crowded, which would make veneers difficult or not feasible.
Align-As Needed
When necessary, we perform aligner therapy to move your teeth into the ideal position, allowing us to minimize the amount of tooth structure we need to remove and place the veneers successfully without compromising their integrity. This treatment can range in length and depends on how much we need to move your teeth. Many people are anxious to get their veneers, but if teeth are moved to a better position, we can conserve more tooth structure and often decrease the number of veneers needed. This hybrid approach helps patients save time and money and protects their veneers from future damage.
Smile Trial
Before we place your veneers, we take a digital scan and design your veneers with our lab. You then come in for what we call a smile trial, where we use molds of the design and temporary material to overlay the veneer design on your teeth to let you see what it would look like. We’ll talk about your preferred shape, size, and color. You get to decide if you want to change anything before giving the final approval. If changes are requested, we repeat these steps.
Prep & Temporary
Once we have the final veneer design, we’ll prep your teeth and place temporary veneers on the same day. If there are any changes in the temporary design, we can make them then, or redesign them. You’ll spend a few weeks in your temporary veneers, and we want to be sure we have the final design in the temporary phase so we can scan and send that design to the lab.
Veneer Placement
Once we have confidence in your temporary design, we have the lab fabricate your veneers and then bring you in to permanently bond your veneers. The length of a veneer placement appointment depends on how many veneers we’re doing and how much prep work we need to do. It is important not to eat or drink anything acidic prior to coming in, such as coffee, as this can negatively impact the bonding we do on the veneers and cause the bond to fail.
How Much Do Veneers Cost?
The price of veneers can vary widely depending on each individual’s needs. Factors that affect the overall price include the need for aligners, the number of veneers desired or needed, the veneer material, and other variables, such as the number of smile trials conducted and any necessary restorations. At Montrose Dental Wellness, we take a comprehensive individual and holistic approach to all dental needs.
Does Insurance Cover Veneers?
Veneers are considered aesthetic or cosmetic dentistry, and unfortunately, dental insurance doesn’t cover these procedures. If your dentist tells you they will bill your insurance for veneers, I recommend looking into the procedure code they’re recommending in more detail and discussing with your insurance company to avoid any surprises. Unfortunately, sometimes patients expect veneers and receive crowns instead to get them covered by insurance. If an insurance company finds out that any work is done for cosmetic reasons, they can deny the coverage or request a refund. At Montrose Dental Wellness, we believe in ethical and legal billing practices.
Are you interested in getting veneers in Montrose, Colorado? Call Montrose Dental Wellness at (970) 497-4009 to book your consultation.