There’s a reason why the market for dentals is expected to reach a staggering $4.57 billion by the year 2031. Have you noticed famous actors or models with shockingly white teeth?
Most of the time the answer to how they got their teeth so white is veneers. This form of cosmetic dentistry is a great solution for people with discolored or damaged teeth. And compared to other forms of cosmetic procedures, it’s relatively quick.
So exactly how long does it take to get veneers? And how do you find the best possible dentist to provide them in your area? In this guide, we’ll answer these questions so you can get a better idea of whether the veneer procedure can fit into your busy schedule.
What Are Veneers?
Before we learn more about the veneer timeline, it’s important to first cover exactly what they are. Veneers are thin coverings that look quite similar to teeth.
When placed on the front of your tooth, it can mimic the appearance of your other teeth. In many cases, they can even conceal crooked teeth. In this way, veneers can be thought of as tooth camouflage.
It’s important to note that these coverings are permanently bonded to your teeth. It’s not a temporary procedure. Typically, veneers are commonly used to help disguise stained, discolored teeth.
However, they can also be helpful for people experiencing bruxism, or teeth grinding. Other people find veneer success with things like chipped teeth, broken teeth, misaligned teeth, or gap teeth.
How Long Does It Take to Get Veneers?
The specific amount of time it will take to get veneers will depend on how busy your dentist’s schedule is. That’s because the actual various procedures don’t take that long.
However, you will require multiple appointments, usually three to four. As such, for the average person, you can expect the entire veneer timeline to take around five weeks. Again, this might be shorter or longer depending on what practice you go to.
What’s the Typical Veneer Timeline?
You can break your typical veneer timeline down into three to four different appointments: consultation/preparation, construction, and veneer placement.
If you’re an anxious or curious person, you might be curious about what’s involved during each appointment. So in this section, we’ll break it down in more detail. If you think that veneers aren’t right for you, don’t panic.
There are other types of cosmetic dentistry procedures you can consider, like bonding or teeth whitening.
Appointment One: Consultation and Construction
Sometimes your consultation might be a separate appointment from your preparation. Other times, they might be grouped. During your consultation, you’ll meet with your doctor and discuss your goals.
They’ll explain the veneer process in a bit more detail and answer any questions you might have.
For preparation, pictures and scans of your teeth will be taken. This will allow your practitioner to make a custom veneer that’s fitted just for you
Appointment Two: Preparation
To place veneers, your dentist will need to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth. This whole process typically takes between two to three hours, though it can be less or more depending on the number of teeth you’re treating.
Once you’re done, you’ll be fitted with a set of temporary veneers. Before this veneer fitting can happen, your teeth first need to be cleaned and polished. Then, the dentist will etch the service for them.
This creates a rough surface, which can help significantly with the bonding process. These will be used to ensure that things like your alignment, teeth positioning, and size are all correct.
Appointment Three: Placement
Once everything is checked and looks good, you’ll begin the process of your final veneer placement. The veneers are secured with a special type of cement.
Special lights known as dental curing lights are used, which will speed up the hardening process. Once hardened, any excess cement is removed and the new teeth are polished. Together, the process will take around two or three hours (or more depending on the number of teeth you’re getting).
In terms of veneer recovery time, it will take you around two weeks to fully adjust to your veneers. You’ll likely also need to come in for an additional appointment a few days or weeks later to confirm that everything looks and feels right.
How to Find the Best Dentist for Veneers
Veneers are a serious procedure, so you need to make sure that you have the best dentist around to do the job. When starting your search, the first thing you want to check is whether they even offer the service.
Many practices might only provide preventative or restorative services. If you want veneers, make sure they offer cosmetic services. Next, you should go through their online reviews.
This will give you a better idea of whether or not past patients were satisfied with how their veneers looked. If you aren’t impressed by the reviews, testimonials, or veneer before-and-after pictures, look elsewhere.
Lastly, you want to check and see if your dental insurance is covered by the practice. Veneers can get expensive quickly if you don’t have insurance.
Ideally, the practice will have a patient resource center where you can check to see if they cater to your insurance. For example, here at Albee Family Dental, we accept:
- BCBS of WNY
- Guardian
- Metlife
- Health Economics
- Some Cigna plans
Once you confirm insurance, you should schedule a consultation. Remember, at this stage, you’re still deciding whether or not you want to go with the practice. So don’t be afraid to walk away.
Interested in Veneers? Contact Albee Family Dental
We hope this guide helped you answer the question, How long does it take to get veneers? When it comes to choosing a veneer provider, experience is everything.
That’s why you should choose Albee Family Dental. Dr. Jennifer Albee has over twenty years of experience and has spent hundreds of hours of continual education studying things like teeth grinding (or bruxism).
Since veneers can be a good solution to this problem, our practice has perfected them. So if you’re ready for the smile you deserve, get in touch with us today.
