What are Dental Veneers, and When are They Used?

Strikingly-white, straight, perfect teeth. It’s something we all want – and especially so during our teen years. Whitening kits and toothpastes can help, and sneak-arounds like sipping coffee and soda through a straw can also aid the cause. But what do you do when one of your kid’s teeth gets cracked or chipped – or is genetically off-color or misshapen? Dental veneers may be the answer.

What is a Veneer? 

A “veneer” is a wafer-thin layer of material molded to the surface of a tooth to correct a chip or crack, or to enhance its cosmetic appearance. Veneers are made of either porcelain or a composite synthetic resin, such as acrylic polymer or polymethyl methacrylate. These materials are used in dentistry because of their ability to create a strong bond with the tooth, and their ability to mimic the natural color of adjacent teeth. Veneers can either be placed directly onto a tooth at the dental office, or fabricated off-site in a dental laboratory.

Which Type of Veneer is Right for My Child?

There are two types of veneers, and the choice as to which one to use should be made less based on one’s desire (or apprehension of the procedure), and more on the design of your child’s teeth.

• Traditional Veneers: Traditional veneers are applied to teeth much in the same manner a crown is applied. That is, weak or decayed areas of the tooth are removed, and the tooth is “shaped” to provide a mounting place for the veneer.
  
  Even healthy teeth require a minimal amount of re-shaping to ensure a natural look when the veneer is applied. The reason for this is that the veneer itself has a certain degree of thickness, and to not whittle down the tooth would result in a “bulky,” unnatural-looking tooth when compared to adjacent teeth.
• Prep-less Veneers: On the other hand, with prep-less veneers, there is very little (if any) removal of tooth material. This can be ideal, but is generally limited to situations when there are existing spaces between teeth (like a gap between two front teeth), or when the tooth being treated is smaller than adjacent teeth.

Making the Right Choice

As you can see, deciding on which veneer to choose is as important as the decision to get one in the first place. If you think dental veneers may be an option for your child, speak with your doctor for help in making the right choice.