Porcelain Veneers Procedure: 10 Steps To A Beautiful Smile!

What Are Veneers?

Today I'm gonna talk about the porcelain veneers procedure and what you can expect in 10 easy steps. Porcelain veneers are custom-made, thin shells of natural tooth-colored porcelain that are permanently bonded to the front of your teeth. They are not one size fits all. They are custom designed by a cosmetic dentist and then specially made just for you by a dental ceramist, in a dental lab to quickly improve the color, shape, size, and position of your teeth. If you really want to get an idea of what veneers are, please check out my latest YouTube video where I break it down.

Veneers Procedure: 10 Steps To A Beautiful Smile!

I get a lot of questions about the dental veneer procedure and what to expect. So I want to share 10 easy steps that it takes to get a new smile with porcelain veneers.

Step 1 - Start at Home

If you're thinking about a new smile, it's important to look in a mirror and face your smile. Start to think about what you could look like. For some people that means looking at old pictures of your old smile, how it used to be. It could be finding pictures of a smile that you see on someone else. We'll talk about more on this later.

Step 2 - Initial Consultation and Smile Design

Once you're ready to book an appointment with the cosmetic dentist for a consultation. This is where you can tell the cosmetic dentist what you want out of your smile. The dentist will do an exam, take x-rays, check the health of your teeth and gums and let you know if you are ready for the veneers or if work is needed before getting the veneers procedure.

If your teeth are healthy, the dentist will work with you in designing a new smile makeover. This is the fun part. They're going to take some photos of your teeth, get some imprints and moldings of your teeth poured up in stone, and then prepare a smile trial so that you can get a sneak preview of what your new smile is going to look like, before you get started. Once we get your approval of the before and after results, the dentist will book your appointment to start your veneers.

Step 3 - Shape Your Teeth

The first dental veneer visit with your cosmetic dentist starts with getting your teeth numb so that you're comfortable and that we can shape your teeth. How much shaping? This is the question that I get all the time.

Well, the amount of shaping depends on the position, size, and color of your teeth and how big of a change we have to make to achieve the final results that we're going for. Minor changes require minor shaping, major changes require more shaping.

Step 4 - Make Impressions

After the shaping is complete we will need to make moldings of your teeth to duplicate your smile and send it to the lab.

Step 5 - Make Temporary Veneers

A temporary veneer is made out of acrylic to cover the natural tooth back up so no one knows that we did anything to your teeth and it also gives you a chance to test drive your newly designed smile.

This step is so important because you get to tell your dental team what you think of your new smile and if you want changes made, the lab can actually make those changes while they're making your veneers if you don't like it.

Step 6 - 2nd Porcelain Veneer Visit With Your Cosmetic Dentist

In this step, you are going to return for the second dental veneer visit with your cosmetic dentist, about seven to 14 days later to finally try those new porcelain veneers to see how they look. Your dentist will again, make sure that you're comfortable by giving you the anesthesia first and then remove the acrylic temps.

Step 7 - Try Temporary Dental Veneers

Your dentist is going to try in the cosmetic veneers with temporary glue and then allow you to view the veneers for approval. Minor changes like the length and slight color changes can be adjusted right away, in the dental chair, by your dentist, without sending them back to the lab.

But if you or your dentist notice something significant, like the color is really off, you don't like the shape or the alignment, any of those discrepancies can't be corrected in the office. So the dentist is going to have to send those veneers back to the lab for a correction.

Here's one major, major tip that I want you to remember. Ultimately, you are in control. If you do not like them, let your dentist know so that changes can be made. If you allow your dentist to permanently bond those veneers that you don't like, you will be held financially responsible for replacing them.

Step 8 - Glue Permanent Veneer

Once you've taken a look at the veneers and you've given us your approval, your cosmetic dentist is going to use a bonding liquid along with a permanent bonding glue to permanently affix the veneers to the front of your teeth forever. This permanent veneer step is so exciting!

Step 9 - Bite Equilibration

We're gonna make sure that your bite closes down together by equilibrating your bite. We may need to make some adjustments to your veneers if your teeth feel too long and you can't close down all the way. The goal is to make sure that you can bite and talk as normal.

Step 10 - Polish and Smooth Veneers

Once we know that your bite is equilibrated, and you're feeling good, we'll make sure that they feel nice and smooth. We're gonna polish them and make sure that they feel just as smooth and glossy and smooth as your natural teeth do. And that's it. Then it's time to show off your smile makeover!

Are You Ready For Porcelain Veneers?

If you're ready to start the process, I'm going to help you start the porcelain veneers procedure right in the comfort of your own home. I created this cool little workbook, that you can download and get started today.

This workbook is going to help you face your smile. I want you to actually take a mirror, look at your smile, write down some of the things that you want to change. This way, you can communicate what you want to your cosmetic dentist when you set up that consultation. I will also show you some smile styles. You can start to think about what you want your new smile to look like and choose a smile that makes you happy.

And finally, I want you to use the worksheet at the back of the workbook that's going to allow you to write down all your questions or concerns, and everything that you want to discuss with the cosmetic dentist so that you do not miss a beat and all of your questions and concerns are answered during that consultation.

We want you to get the most out of your initial consultation with the cosmetic dentist. Do you have questions about the veneers procedure? Comment below.

Are you interested in getting porcelain veneers in NYC, or Flint, MI?  Contact The Queen of Smiles today to see if you're a candidate.