If you’re looking at porcelain veneers as a possible way to renovate your mouth and make your teeth look better, it might help to think about the larger cosmetic dental industry and all of the options that may be available to you as a patient. Choosing the right cosmetic dental procedures involves a lot of thinking about how cost relates to benefit, as well as how you will be able to maintain the final results to make them last. Your dentist can tell you more about all of the available options, but some basic choices apply to most patients who are looking at getting a better visual result for their teeth.
Here are some of the common alternatives to porcelain veneers that dental patients choose to get a brighter, cleaner smile.
Tooth Whitening
There’s no doubt that tooth whitening is a big industry in today’s markets. Dental solutions available for tooth whitening range from specialty toothpaste and other products to a range of tooth whitening kits, each of which comes with its own price tag and relative results. These kits have worked for some patients, but not everyone gets the same results with tooth whitening tools. Still, as a basic way to promote whiter teeth, this simple first-line solution gets a lot of attention.
Composite Veneers
Some other types of dental veneers compete with porcelain veneers. Some patients choose composite veneers, which tend to be cheaper for smaller dental installations. The downside to using these materials is that they can be less hardy than the porcelain products, but composite veneers are popular with some customers who want to save money on their cosmetic fixes.
Tooth Reshaping
Some patients choose to have their teeth actually reshaped in order to improve the look of their mouths. This is generally not effective for changing discolored teeth, but it is a similar service that some patients consider as opposed to filling in gaps with porcelain veneers.
Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is another very interesting cosmetic solution for a range of issues with the teeth. This procedure involves a tooth-colored putty that gets added to the teeth, where a laser hardens this material and bonds it to the teeth. Dental bonding is getting used for a lot of for purposes, including the filling of cavities. It is easy and inexpensive, but also tends to have less of a long-term durability than some other types of cosmetic fixes.
If any of these sound like something that could help you improve your oral aesthetic, talk to your dentist about how to get access to any of these cosmetic dental treatments. Good pretreatment consultation will allow you to learn more about the risks and benefits of each procedure and how they might affect your particular medical situation as a patient. You can ask about all of the elements of the process and how long you can expect it to last. Professional dental experts can also provide specialized information on cost breakdowns which are important to patients.
